Mending Bonds
by Synergetic Prose
Summary: Canon/AU slow burn (diverts after s1,ep11): Trust is something that is hard to gain. This was something that Shiro knew as he worked on forging bonds with his team and the Black Lion. With Allura's life force connected to the lions, a bond with her was needed too. But what was the difference between needing a bond out of necessity and wanting it?
1. Chapter 1

AN: I know...I have other stories. Believe me, I _know._ But I just cannot NOT jump on this. XD These will be connected drabbles of various lengths.

Starting from season one.

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In the beginning, there was only chaos.

There was only action and reaction, movement and instinct. Shiro had to adapt again and again, going from space, home, then space again - how fleeting his homecoming had been - but there wasn't even time for him to truly mourn that.

In between the small gaps of time, the pitiful excuse for rest but most certainly better than his cell, in those short moments there were his memories. They leaked into his mind like oil on water, hovering, floating on top but not completely incorporated into his recollection. Most of the time this was the case.

Other times, he almost wished the memories didn't stick so well.

Ever since the Galra first took him all he had time for was _surviving._

He had to get this team of teens into shape, going over again and again what their situation was, what would most likely come to pass, what was expected of Voltron, what exactly they were doing when they smashed through a Galra ship with blaring biorhythms of life showing up on the screen and emphasizing that yes, this was only a _choice._ They could back out at any time despite the Princess' slight frown on her face in the back of the room that only he could see, given where he was standing...

The soldier in him somewhat understood her slight disapproval.

He imagined that finding another paladin wasn't quite so easy to do, let alone five. But the sympathetic part of him that knew these were only _kids,_ that wanted to spare them this war, this dark side of the moon instead of the side with the comforting glow that entranced him as a child...He wanted them to know it was all a choice regardless. This stance he would argue if she ever decided to be vocal about it in the future.

But apparently the future was only thirty minutes later.

"You don't truly mean that."

He felt his shoulders twitch a little, the sudden breath he took too quiet for her to have heard as his mind snapped back into his body. He slowly turned his shoulders towards her, taking the time to blink and acknowledge that her supposed question really didn't sound like one.

"Mean what, exactly?"

Her light eyes narrowed so slightly, but even then they were still big.

"If even one paladin leaves...we cannot form Voltron."

"Not right away."

Allura shifted her weight, her right hand coming up smoothly to rest on her hip. Nowadays it was rare for him to see her in the formal gown and her long hair down, much to Lance's disappointment. Her hair was always tied back into a bun and her demeanor not unlike his drill sergeants from the Garrison but with the royal chin tilt.

Some days he found it hard to believe this was the same person that had reached out for her father, had cried in front of a group of strangers upon learning the fate of all she held dear. In the back of his mind, he faintly acknowledged that his team were not the only ones that had to grow a thick skin in a short amount of time.

His eyes made to look down at his right arm but he fought the impulse. Now was not the time for self pity. Or ever, if he was to lead this ragtag team of barely trained pilots and engineers.

"How easy do you think it is to find paladins?"

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards, having thought the same thing not even five minutes ago. "A bunch of amateurs were able to connect with the lions."

Her eye twitched but it was too faint for him to have seen it. "Our odds were unusually fortuitous."

He eased his mouth into a neutral line. His attempt to steer the tone to more friendlier terms did not go as he hoped.

"I know princess."

"Do you?" came her airy response.

He fully turned towards her. "It took ten thousand years for five paladins to come to this castle. That is not something I take lightly - nor you," he added when she made to interject, "or Coran. But the team - they're inexperienced." _Too immature,_ he added in his head with an internal sigh, then with a bit of grimness, _Too young._ _"_ It would be wrong to ask for sacrifices they haven't agreed to make."

She eyed him with an assessing look. "You do realize that a war like this - a domination of thousands of lives...this not a choice."

"Yes, I know that. However - "

"Do you think anyone _cho_ _se_ this?" she cut off swiftly, making his eyes widened a little. "That other beings across several galaxies woke up one morning and decided to forfeit the rest of their lives to an empire that could destroy them on a whim? Or those that decide to fight - to _die_ for the dream of freedom, knowing full well that they are outnumbered and easily outgunned -"

He wasn't certain she was aware she was steadily raising her voice. "I'm not saying -"

"- Until you five appeared, connected with Voltron to form something that _can_ do damage, _can_ give them the will to keep _trying_ to the point of death - and yet you give these _four_ an excuse to turn away from their duty to save _millions_?"

He took a long breath in, making her wait for his answer now that she was ready to let him speak. "I hear you," he murmured calmly, sternly.

She recognized the tone, having heard this tone of voice whenever he was chastising Keith and Lance. The recognition only made her bristle as he spoke.

"But that is _not_ what I did. You are asking them to do war for a part of the universe they never knew _existed_ until recently."

She heard the words he could not bluntly say.

 _This is not our fight._

Had this been another conversation she might have commented on his tactful wording. Alteans were known for their diplomacy after all and appreciated those that were the same. But he was not Altean. None of them were. They weren't even from the same galaxy as he felt prudent to remind her.

A sliver of unexpected steel appeared in her eyes.

"...I did not know earthlings," she murmured slowly in as even a tone as she could, not wanting to portray any more emotion than what her words gave away already, "only took care of themselves."

"Princess - "

She had already pivoted and was out of the room. He sighed to himself as the door slid shut with a metallic whoosh that seemed louder than usual. As the eldest of this group of humans, he felt that this point needed to be addressed. His team was restless for Earth. He knew it, could hear them murmuring about what they missed - whining in Lance's case. He made sure not to agree or disagree with them when it came to complaints regarding the duration of their stay. He tried to keep them too occupied with training to miss Earth.

For who knew how long they would be out here...

His eyes drifted back to the large windows of the observation deck, looking up past the Arusian land and into the vast void that was space. It was so quiet, so still, one wouldn't imagine thousands of Galran fleets gliding through like sharks drifting by in the ocean.

Without thinking, he automatically searched for the familiar constellations of their solar system that he studied willingly, eagerly, only for his brows to furrow as his mind was failing to recognize _anything_ \- He uncrossed his arms and turned away from the windows.

The time he had allotted for this was up.

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AN: I hope I do the characters justice but who knows. Part of viewing is viewer interpretation. XD


	2. Chapter 2

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The chamber was filled with juniberries and the blue, clear skies of Altea.

The mice were along her lap as Allura sat in the middle of the field. The smaller mice watched the magenta flowers sway in the unseen breeze, one of them playfully pawing at a bloom when it came near them. She idly ran her fingers over the big yellow mouse's soft belly as he lay flat on his back along her thigh. He always seemed to have a smile on his face like there was nothing that could disturb his peace.

She envied him.

 _"You're very quiet today."_

She looked up at her father's AI, the light blue hologram showing a gentle concern on his face. It ached to see him like this, knowing that she would never be able to embrace him again but her day would be worse if she skipped a visit. She looked back down at the big, smiley mouse as she traced one of his ears. It twitched at the sensation, making the corner of her mouth go upwards just a little before falling back down.

"We're -" she paused a moment, feeling a bite of bitterness before she continued on, " _They_ are having trouble forming Voltron."

King Alfor hummed to that, putting his hands behind his back.

 _"Have they tried the maze training?"_

"Yes."

 _"The shields blocking the lasers, protecting each other?"_

"Pathetically."

He ignored that reaction for the moment. _"The visual headbands where they mentally form -"_

"Yes," she stressed with some frustration, "and the Gladiator, and the blind training helmets while they fly - "

 _"The blinders is a rather advanced level,"_ Alfor amusedly commented.

"-and I've even shot at them on autopilot." She puffed at a stray hair before tucking in back into her bun. "Nothing is _working._ " Her thin brows tilted upwards a little towards the center of her forehead. "It's not coming as smoothly as your team did father. What am I doing wrong?"

 _"Allura,"_ King Alfor softly chuckled, _"We knew each other for years, long before you were born."_ He knelt next to her so they were more at eye level. _"Nothing good ever comes out of impatience."_

"But we don't have time for this. Zarkon knows where we are." Her eyes cast downwards at her thoughts. "We barely survived his first attack with one Galra ship."

 _"My dear daughter,"_ he murmured quietly, waiting until her eyes came back up to him, _"How I wish you were not put into this position."_ He lightly touched her cheek. The hologram created light tingles along her skin. Her eyes watered. It wasn't the warmth of his hand but it would have to be enough for her. _"Survival is always important, but without camaraderie what will be left once you leave the battlefield?"_

"Father?"

He smiled. _"I miss seeing your hair down."_ He lightly touched the curled hair along her cheek. _"You have your mother's wonderful locks."_

She half smiled. "Unruly, you mean."

He heartily laughed at that. _"I doubt she would like that description."_

Her smile strained at the ends. She had mourned her mother's passing when it occurred. The illness had been so swift, so quick that her mother didn't have time to store her memories. She was so young when it happened. She looked over the familiar lines of her father's face. _While father was there, a constant rock in my life._ Her father had filled the void with so much tender love and care. Was still trying to, even in this form.

"...I need to go."

He stood up with her, watching as she gathered the mice on her shoulder before taking her hand.

 _"Until next time, my dear Allura."_

She curled her fingers around his holographic hand, not surprised when there was nothing in her grip. She turned to go but then hesitated. Without further thought, she pulled out the pins in her hair. She internally sighed upon feeling the relief from the tightness of her bun. The mice squeaked as some strands covered them. She quickly moved them out of their way.

 _"Much better."_

"Take care father."

She gave her father a smile before walking out of the room.

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Shiro did not know how long he slept but he was certain it had only been a couple of hours.

He could feel his lungs lightly laboring for breath as he grew more aware of his surroundings. The soft glow of the mysterious castle lights were low for sleeping but still on. He was silently glad for it as his eyes darted about. Instinctively, he brought his right hand up to rub his throbbing temples but then awkwardly switched it for his left.

Right now he didn't need a reminder of his ordeals. His eyes closed as the pressure of his thumb relieved a little of the ache along the side of his head.

 _It was only one year._

He shook his head at that.

With a slow breath in and then out he pushed the blanket aside to move his legs over the edge of the bed. He stared down at his bare feet for a moment, his eyes tracing the edge of the spider webbed scar that peeked from beneath the slightly raised hem of his sleep pants. The bulk of the scar was around his right ankle. He could only assume that something very sharp had wrapped around his ankle at one point in time, whether to tether him somewhere or pull him back.

He couldn't remember exactly.

Determinedly he looked away, swiftly standing up.

Immediately his room lights thrummed to full power. He walked to the left wall where his clothes were. He reached for the clothes Keith had gotten him, then paused as the white of his paladin armor caught the corner of his eye. The black "V" along the top of the breastplate was stark against the crisp, clean white of the armor's plates.

The first time he put it on he had felt a little ridiculous.

Until he saw the others.

He had turned around to the glass case that once held the armor. The person he saw in the reflection, the people standing beside him...together they didn't look like something to scoff at. It was unity, strength in numbers, a band of people gathered for a common goal. There were no weaknesses to be seen.

...There was no dirty prisoner with rags on.

The black fingers of his right hand grazed the arm of his paladin suit before pulling it out of the closet. It was early. Training would not begin for another couple of hours. As he slid into his suit and fastened the plates he slowly felt the throbbing of his head ease. By the time he was dressed there was only a lingering sensation of the almost painful headache.

"Alright."

He swiftly went down to do his daily pushups.

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The door quietly whooshed closed behind Allura as she walked out into the main hallway, feeling her heart lighter than when she initially awoke.

The castle was quiet. She imagined that the Arusian sun was barely rising up in the sky. The mice squeaked a little, making her look at them.

"Is this your stop?"

With quick nods from the mice she put her palms out to them. They plopped themselves in her hands so she could lower them down. Once they scurried away she continued on her way, making a turn to the hallway leading to the resting and bathing area.

She paused suddenly upon seeing Shiro further down. The sudden action caused her shoes to make a sound loud enough for him to hear. He looked behind him and then turned half towards her.

"Princess Allura."

"Paladin. I did not think anyone else would be up."

He sighed to himself when he heard the formal address. He supposed she was still sour over their last conversation. "The others are asleep," as an afterthought he added, "though Keith tends to wake up a couple of hours after I do."

She spotted the towel around his neck. If it weren't for the armor and sweat she might have thought he had just bathed. "Were you training?" She lightly frowned. "Did you even get any sleep?"

"Some." He brought the towel up to dab at his forehead. "Sorry princess, but I really need to hit the shower."

"By all means," she gestured to the side with a slight huff. "Revitalize yourself before you faint from sleep deprivation."

He quirked a brow at that. "I won't faint."

"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

He crossed his arms. "I honestly thought you'd be happy we're training more."

"I did not say I was displeased about that. When you choose to train, however..."

He sighed loud enough for her to hear. "If you're going to be particular about it, then you should give us a weekly schedule."

"A what?"

"You know, seven dobosh - no that's not. It's - I don't recall the Altean word for week..." he rubbed the back of his head, trying to remember what 'day' was instead. "But there's seven of them at a time."

"...Quintants?"

He pointed his index finger towards her. "Yes."

Her lips twitched upwards.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just," she covered her mouth as a smile started showing. "You looked like Lance for a moment."

"He's always finger pointing, isn't he?" He shook his head in humor and exasperation. "Not a trait I wanted rubbed onto me to be completely honest."

"Rubbed."

"Ah, like a habit passed onto you. Or a behavior. Tends to happen when you're around the same people every day."

"Mm. We call it _mulsh._ "

"...Not what I thought it would be."

"The human equivalent word would be smear. Or smearing, I suppose. Smeared?"

He raised his shoulders in a shrug. "Depends on how you use it."

"Well. At least you didn't catch Lance's flirting habit."

"At least," he half chuckled, "or else I'd say something about your hair."

They both blinked at that.

"What about my hair?"

"Nothing," he murmured quickly, bringing his towel over his face in a long wipe. "I should go."

She didn't hear him. Instead she was gathering her hair up to put back into a bun. She wouldn't say she was vain, but she had just _yanked_ the hairpins out willy nilly. _It must look like a dreadful mess._

He had wiped his face slowly to recover from what he said, but when his line of view was free he almost sighed when he saw what she was doing.

"Princess, you don't have to do anything to it."

She ignored him, making him feel worse.

"Just - "without thinking he reached out for her hands, "leave it _alone."_

She stared at his position in front of her. When had they gotten closer? He had been at the other end of the hall. She looked down at his hands. He let go of her wrists suddenly.

"Sorry. "

"It's alright."

He looked at his right hand and then her left wrist. "...I didn't -?"

She caught on quickly. "Your hold was not painful." She tugged her sleeve down and her glove off. "See?"

His shoulders relaxed a little upon seeing no discoloration. "...I can't always tell," he murmured quietly, almost shamefully. "I feel sensations but - it's been getting used to."

She didn't like that look in his eyes. "You will," she determinedly declared, "for the Black Lion is the head, the leader."

He looked partially amused. "And the leader is always strong."

"No." She put her hand on his right forearm. "The Black Paladin always _tries._ "

Her hand moved off. He lightly fisted his hand as she moved away.

"Princess."

She turned back to him.

"I don't want to put words in the others' mouths," he missed her curious head tilt at the phrase, "but for me at least," he lifted his head up to her fully, "you will not be without the Black Lion in this fight."

Her hand fisted over her chest, feeling a small weight lifted from her.

"I'm glad to hear it...Shiro."

Then she turned forward once again. He turned back towards the way to the showers.

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AN: I'm one for build ups, just fyi. For me, Allura was pretty demanding in the second episode and my impression of her obviously showed. XD


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Still based around season 1, ep 2

I'm assuming if you're reading this you know Pidge's secret. But Pidge has not told anyone yet.

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"I'm dead."

Hunk barely had enough energy to glance behind him. Lance was lying on the ground of the training floor with his eyes closed and his blue bayard out of hand's reach. By magic, Shiro and Keith had gotten up and were already out the door. Pidge called Rover in to help get up while Hunk was left to pull himself up one joint at a time.

And Lance...was now curled up into a ball.

"Come on Lance. We can't eat unless everyone's there. Paladin rule."

Lance let out an exaggerated whine. "Can't Blue come get me?"

"Dude, the lion won't fit through the doorway."

"Like a doorway's gonna stop my Blue." Pause. "Can we call the lions?" He uncurled his arm to look for a 'lion pager' on his screen.

Hunk sighed. "The Princess will kill you if you wreck her castle."

"Nah." The Blue Paladin grinned. "She loves me."

"Nothing she has done has indicated that."

"She left blue lion slippers for me." Lance turned his head to show Hunk his wagging eyebrows. "In my room. I think that's a sign."

"First off, Coran's probably the one that left them. Second, we _all_ got slippers." Hunk grunted as he slowly walked back to Lance. "You're the only one dumb enough to wear them outside of your room."

"Hey!"

Hunk dropped his head. That was a little mean. "Sorry. I'm just really hungry."

"And I'm tired."

"So am I man." The Yellow Paladin grabbed Lance's right wrist. "Come on, give me the other."

Slowly Lance lifted his left arm. Hunk took it and pulled him up to a sitting position. He took a long breath and then pulled Lance up to his knees.

"Almost there _amigo."_

Hunk gave Lance a little glower and then yanked him up the rest of the way. Lance yelped as he stumbled onto his feet.

 _"Dios!_ That was too hard!"

"Sorry," came Hunk's unapologetic response.

It didn't deter Lance enough to sling an arm around Hunk's shoulders for support.

"So what do your slippers look like?"

"Like the yellow lion," Hunk grinned. "You _are_ tired."

"Don't need to tell me twice." They slowly dragged themselves through the doorway of the training room. "I bet Keith's look ugly with like a bazillion fangs and spikes."

Hunk laughed and then stopped suddenly.

"Lance, did you get your bayard?"

Lance showed his empty hand. Both groaned and then wearily turned back to the training room.

"Thanks buddy."

Hunk grunted as he fixed Lance's arm on his shoulders. "What are friends for?"

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The way to the dining room felt longer than usual.

Keith rolled his neck as he walked a few steps behind Shiro. Damn Gladiator was still set at a child's level and they were no closer to beating it. Shiro could probably beat it alone if he didn't faze out still. A frown appeared on his face. None of them knew what their leader went through. The scar on his face and the metal arm were only clues to what happened with the Galra. The older pilot just needed time to adjust. Keith didn't mind watching his back until then.

It was the least he could do.

"Great sword blocking in practice today."

Keith gave a half shrug. "My footing's still crap."

Shiro let out a sound of agreement. "A little but you'll learn. You're a quick study."

The teen felt a twinge of guilt. "Shiro, about getting booted from the Garrison - "

"- It's in the past," Shiro gave him a reassuring look. "Focus on your time here."

"I-I can't. Not yet."

Shiro looked back. "Keith?"

The dark haired teen had his head down and his fists clenched at his sides.

"I'm grateful you didn't ask why I was booted," Keith quietly murmured, "and I can't even express how grateful I was to have you as a mentor - me, the problem kid." He looked up with a deep frown on his face. "I want to explain why I got kicked out...but I can't even think of what it was exactly. It's just, when they said you guys were missing...I just - "

"Hey, it's ok. You don't have to," came Shiro's reassurance. Again.

Suddenly, furious fire lit Keith's eyes. It was as if it had been burning inside him for too long without any proper release and had only been building up, up...

"They said it was _pilot error._ From the Garrison's top pilot? It was complete _crap_ but everyone went along with it! All the students, the teachers - even the freaking head of the program! I was just so _angry_ all the time - I couldn't stop it, couldn't control what came out of my mouth! How could they dismiss you guys so easily?!"

He gasped in air as it was finally let out.

"They have a limit to attitude problems so...I was kicked out."

Shiro stayed quiet. Finally, he lifted his hand up and lightly ruffled Keith's hair.

"You're a good kid."

Keith let out an indistinguishable grunt. "Think Iverson would disagree."

Shiro gave him a crooked smile. "You're a _decent_ kid." He roughly ruffled Keith's hair so that too much was in his face. "That better?"

He pushed Shiro's hand away so he could fix his hair. "Barely."

Shiro only grinned. "Come on. I'm actually in the mood for food goo."

"If Lance can get his lazy butt off the floor."

"There might be a wait then," Shiro joked along.

They walked in companionable silence for a bit until Keith spoke up.

"Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you mentor me again?"

"Isn't that what we're doing?"

Keith let loose a half smile. "I guess so."

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Pidge was the first to arrive.

She hadn't expected that. "Rover, where is everyone?"

The little pyramid glowed green and then made some electronic chirps. A light green screen appeared as Rover accessed the castle's surveillance feeds. Pidge watched as Shiro and Keith were standing in a hallway talking, then it switched to Hunk mostly dragging Lance out of the training room as Lance cried over his bayard, followed by Coran slapping some green goo onto plates while singing something she could only assume was in Altean.

They were all so weird sometimes.

The feed switched to Allura walking down the hallway to the dining room, complete with dress and tiara. She told Rover to cut the feeds. The last thing she wanted was for Allura to know that she could hack into her castle. Pidge rolled her eyes a little at the word 'castle.'

"If the people you lead are gone can you still be considered royalty?"

Rover chirped and swayed in her face.

"I'm not trying to be mean. It's just a question." Pause. "But does she _have_ to wear the tiara all the time? She probably sleeps with it on."

Rover chirped long.

"Alright alright I'll knock it off!"

The door to the dining room slid open. "Oh Pidge, good to see you. Where are the others?"

Pidge shrugged as she propped her feet. "They should be here soon."

Allura paused at the head of the table. "Do you have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Your feet."

Pidge slid them off slowly. Allura looked partially mollified.

"I'll see how Coran's doing in the kitchen."

"Ok."

Allura left. Pidge put her feet back up on the table.

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AN: I don't plan to do scene for scene, just heads up. I'll try to indicate where the story is at so there's minimal confusion.


	4. Chapter 4

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Pidge sat on the steps as Shiro stood by, both waiting for the survivors to emerge from the cryopods.

He tried doing small talk with Pidge but the Green Paladin was too high strung to pretend to care about the weather. Not really wanting to force that sort of conversation he settled with silence. And with very little else to do he was left with his thoughts.

They finally formed Voltron.

In hindsight he could see that Allura had been provoking them. He hadn't been able to stop the shake of his head when she had lifted her goo covered head and smiled so widely at their teamwork, even if it had been against Coran and herself. He felt his mouth twitch upwards in memory. He had been perplexed by her high handed attitude leading up to the food fight but now it made sense. The small smile quickly drifted downwards. But the situation she created in order for them to bond together...

 _"We're not some prisoners you can play around with!"_

 _"Oh the princess of what?! You're no princess of mine!"_

He ran a hand through his hair. Allura made herself an enemy they could fight against. Was that true bonding or was that just another 'fight or flight' situation? He eyed the top of Pidge's head, recalling the venom the youngest paladin had spewed out to Allura. They had all been frustrated, he'd grant that. But...

"Do you have a problem with Princess Allura?"

"What?"

"At dinner the other night."

"You mean when she was calling us whiners and threw goo in my face?"

 _"Pidge."_

Pidge winced a little at the heavy sarcasm that came out of her mouth. "Sorry. I'm not trying to be difficult." She patted her lap and Rover came down into it. "It's just been kind of stressful lately." She twisted her lips a little. "But it does annoy me how she acts sometimes. It's 'Paladins, do this, Paladins do that.'" Pidge turned her head up towards Shiro. "I mean, we have to call her 'Princess.' But she's not really a princess anymore and we're not people under her heel so why bother?"

There was a sound by the doorway. They both looked up but saw nothing there. Shiro's eyes lingered for a couple more seconds before turning his attention back to Pidge. With a sigh he lowered himself down to sit next to the younger teen.

"We're all adjusting. I get it. But Pidge, we're using the Altean's lions and living in their castle. So by default that means we _are_ under Princess Allura."

"...Like when you go to another country and have to follow their rules."

Shiro nodded his head.

"I guess that makes sense." Pause. "But the whole Princess title -"

"It's a peculiar situation," Shiro allowed, "but it's their culture and I'll respect that. Now," he lightly grinned, "Will I pay taxes to the Crown? Probably not."

Pidge grinned back.

He lifted his right arm to hang over his raised knee. The action made her look at his prosthetic for a moment. It was a source of horror and fascination for her. The technology imbedded into one limb, how smoothly the fingers moved and that incredible glow that he could call forth -

Shiro tilted his head in question. She adjusted her gaze to his shoulder with an internal scold for staring at his arm so blatantly. She was sure it was the last thing she'd want people to do every time they saw her.

"Shiro...do you remember anything about why you're called Champion?"

The title made his mind drift. He could faintly recollect dirt, jagged rocks, screams, thundering cheers, clashes of metal on metal, feel flesh give way and something liquid slide over his hand as a warm spray of that same fluid hit his face, stinging his eyes and filling his nose with the sickly scent of distorted iron -

"Nothing concrete." His gaze turned to the pods. "But maybe they can fill the gaps."

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The battle was over.

Robot Myzak was in two pieces on the Arusian earth thanks to Keith's sword. Shiro could hear the others cheering over the victory and exclaiming over their new ability. He wanted to congratulate Keith as well but the complete flashback of Myzak, the living creature, would not be ignored anymore. He sucked in as quiet a breath as he could as the memory clawed itself in...

 _"Shiro?"_ came Keith's voice.

He let out the breath he was holding. "Good job team." He could feel the sweat run along his temple. "Let's disband and meet in the common area."

Sounds of agreement came over the mics before Voltron was separated. He watched as they took to the skies before turning his lion towards the robot. The face was so similar to Myzak. _Had it really been him in it?_ He wouldn't put it past the Galra to figure out a way to do it...

 _"Are you alright?"_

It was Allura's voice this time. "Fine."

 _"Your vitals say otherwise."_

He turned his lion to look at the castle, as if he could see her from this distance.

"Heat of the battle."

 _"I turned the others' mics off."_

"..."

 _"Was it a memory?"_

"It helped us."

 _"But not you."_

"It will pass. They always do."

 _"...How frequently do they come?"_

"They come when they will." He prepped his lion for flight. "We'll need to leave Arus before Zarkon sends another robot."

 _"Coran and I are working on it."_

"Good." Pause. "Princess?"

 _"Yes, Shiro?"_

He pointedly ignored her hopeful tone of voice. "Don't mute the others' mics again."

 _"...That's not up to you, Paladin."_

The line was cut off. He took to the skies.

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The "conversation" with Allura came much later than Shiro had been expecting.

He was attempting to sleep when he heard something scratching his door. His arm glowed as he cautiously approached then dimmed out when he opened it and saw the mice. The yellow one had a note tied around him. He took it, half knowing what it was going to say.

'Observation deck.'

He crumpled the note and slid his door closed. The mice scampered off ahead of him, done with their task. The castle air was cool and the floors smooth under his feet. The wall lights hummed to life as he walked on. He hoped it didn't wake anyone else up. He looked back and was satisfied to see the lights behind him dim back down.

What earth scientists wouldn't give to study Altean technology.

Pidge was going nuts over it.

The windows of the observation deck were dark. The land of Arus was quiet, the skies were speckled with the soft lights of the stars. The further in he walked he could see quite clearly how much of a contrast the calm scenery was compared to the look in Allura's eyes. It was only an afterthought that he registered that she was in her sleepwear as well. _This must have been bugging her too much to wait for the morning._

He'd been caught up in an icy space storm before. He doubt his experience would help now.

"Prin-"

"You do not dictate what I do."

He crossed his arms at that. Straight to it then. "I will not have secret conversations behind my team."

"What is this then?" she drawled. "May we continue or shall we call the others first?"

"This is a _disagreement_ , not a conversation. I don't need the team seeing this."

"Afraid they'll lose respect for you?"

He bit back something harsh. Meaningless bickering will get them nowhere.

"No," he slowly murmured, "They need to see unity, not division."

The conversation she had accidentally caught between Pidge and Shiro unwillingly filtered into her mind. _'She's not an actual princess...so why bother?'_

"...You're not on my level."

"I'm not," he agreed. "I'm a pilot from earth."

"You're a Paladin of Voltron," she corrected. Her mouth pursed a little. "Or are earthlings so fickle?"

He closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I agreed to help fight this war," he opened his eyes with some exasperation, "is my word not enough?"

Allura sized him up and then turned away.

"I didn't say I doubted your word."

He relaxed his stance a little. "I want to work with you Princess. But trust is something this team needs. If we start cutting people out from conversations...We won't get very far. That's all I meant."

How true those words were. "...There are times when separate conversations are needed."

"One on one conversations are fine."

She turned back to him with her chin raised. "Then why am I unable to inquire after your state of mind?"

He gave her a half grin, half exasperated look. "Because that's something I don't delve into with anyone. Equally."

His sleepshirt was sleeveless. She could see the damaged skin that connected with metal. Along his collarbone there were a couple of scars just visible above the relaxed collar. _He always covers his neck and arms._ Her eyebrows eased their frowning.

"You _could_ talk about it."

"If I choose to," he easily agreed.

She hummed to that. _On my terms,_ were the words she heard from him. Just as she had boundaries regarding how they spoke to her, he had boundaries of what he wanted to reveal. She could understand that.

"Fair enough."

"Is that all or do we need to address more?"

"Nothing that can't wait."

"Good night Princess."

After she replied he turned around, revealing his back. As she stared at the burn across his shoulders she realized that perhaps he was saying more than she initially thought. He came as he was, scars exposed but still standing tall.

 _Perhaps our communications do not always have to be verbal._

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AN: Did anyone else kind of feel like Allura rubbed Pidge the wrong way? At least in the beginning. XD Or I'm just seeing issues where there aren't any. XD


	5. Chapter 5

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The sun was starting to set and Allura still needed to do her hair.

She muttered her speech under her breath as she turned over the overstuffed pillows of her lounging chair but came up empty. With a huff she blew the hair out of her face and moved on to the vanity. She already checked twice but maybe she wasn't being attentive.

There was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called half distracted. "Coran, have you seen -" she blinked upon seeing Pidge in the doorway, "Oh, sorry I assumed -"

"It's alright," the teen shrugged off, "I just wanted to give you this."

"My diadem!" Allura smiled as she took the metal headpiece from Pidge, "Where did you find it?"

"Well, I don't know where it was originally but I saw the mice trying to drag it through the hallway. Figured I'd help out."

The mice scurried in and squeaked.

"They thank you Pidge. We all do."

"It was nothing." Pidge shifted in place as if the thanks made the paladin uncomfortable. "Say Princess...there's something I -"

"Princess Allura!"

They turned towards the doorway as they heard Coran's voice down the hall.

"Ah, I should go. You're still getting ready for the celebration."

"I am, but we should talk later Pidge," Allura smiled encouragingly.

"Sure..."

Pidge walked out, shortly afterwards Coran came in a little winded.

"Princess you are going to be late!"

"I know," she groaned out loud now that it was just the two of them. Had anyone else been around she would have withheld the urge. A proper princess never makes such sounds.

Coran tutted. "Sit down. I'll wedge that crown in place.

Allura did as she was told. She was used to this ease of speech with Coran. He'd been with her family for years and had been a close friend of her father's. Her eyes closed as the brush went through her hair. She didn't know what she would have done if she had woken from that pod without him.

She shivered at the prospect of being the sole Altean alive...

"Did I tug too hard?"

"No Coran." Pause. "Pidge found my crown."

"Really now?"

"Yes." She smiled to herself. Breakfast had been amiable this morning. First Hunk gave her first 'dibs' of a treat he had been experimenting on then Lance had pulled out her chair without some absurd flirtation. Even Keith was relaxed instead of scowling at someone. Ever since that talk with Shiro she felt like the atmosphere was calmer. Welcoming, even. "I feel as though we're finally coming together as a team."

"Your father would be proud."

She squeezed the crown in her hands. "I think so too."

* * *

Arusian horns sounded into the air along with the soft patter of the drums.

The night was much cooler than the afternoon had been. The celebration of the defeat of Myzak had been set for the following night to allow them to prep the castle and give the warriors their due rest. Coran watched as Allura easily conversed with the Arusian King. He had known her as a child and could tell even now that she would have made a magnificent Queen.

The royal advisor leisurely strolled the main hall near the entrance of the castle. Lively conversations filled the air as everyone smiled and laughed. In the middle he spotted Lance still recovering from his first taste of Nunvil while Keith and Hunk mischievously prodded at his ill stomach.

Coran felt a smile appear on his face. _I remember my first sip._ It was a rite of passage to experience that pungent flavor and swallow all of it without grimacing. He took a hearty drink of his cup, feeling it warm his insides and tickle his stomach unpleasantly. It was a bit more tart than usual, what with fermenting for 10,000 years but he smiled anyways.

In this easy atmosphere it almost felt like Altea.

Coran turned around, spotting a familiar black and white figure leaning against the archway before the long hallway that led to the outside. He grinned widely, grabbed a cup of Nunvil and made his way over.

"Still where I last saw you, eh?"

Shiro turned his eyes away from surveilling the entrance. He eyed the cup of purple space juice and declined it with a quiet, "I'm good."

"You are allowed to _relax_ after battle."

The Black Paladin gave him a rueful half smile. "We are." The smile fell as he watched Arusians filtering in and out of the castle. "But being off guard is something we can't afford."

"Paladin Shiro," Coran sighed then put Shiro's untouched cup on a passing hover tray, "I understand that you've gone through much, but a soldier must learn to let the battlefield _stay_ where it was left."

At that, Shiro turned completely to Coran.

Shiro didn't know how old the Altean was, nor of his experiences in war. He himself was fairly new to it. He allowed himself a moment to look over Coran's shoulder. There were so many people around, his team included. He caught movement higher up, having seen Allura's light hair as she moved to lean over the bannister on the second level.

"With Zarkon," he murmured low as he looked back at Coran, "you know what we have to lose."

Coran's bright eyes grew somber. "Was it that terrible with the Galra?"

Shiro's lips twitched as if to say something but they stayed in a firm line.

"I'm going to check the perimeter."

* * *

The conversations around their little group quieted as Pidge spoke up.

Shiro couldn't say he hadn't been expecting this but he had hoped it would have been much later in time. As it was he could feel Allura's accusing stare drilling into him but he did not look away from Pidge. He'd have to talk to her later. Right now Pidge needed his attention.

"You're leaving the team?"

Pidge did not look at Allura, instead keeping her gaze with Shiro. "I encrypted some of the data we got from that Galra ship. The information's not as recent as I would like but it's something."

Shiro felt the weight of her look, trying to get him to understand.

For a moment, he put himself in her shoes: an inexperienced cadet...a teenage girl who had been looking for her family for at least a year, finally finds one survivor of the mission with a scar on his face, hair partially turned white and a cybernetic right arm - not to mention partial amnesia. And that was damage dealt to someone that had some combat training. What was the damage to two scientists against a ruthless, battle heavy empire?

He felt his gaze soften a little. "Pidge -"

Keith did not have such a moment. "You can't leave."

Pidge broke away from Shiro's gaze. "You can't tell me what to do. Shiro's the leader, not you."

"None of that will matter if we can't form Voltron," Keith spat out.

"Hey guys - " Hunk attempted to intervene.

"I can't just turn my back on my family!"

"No one will have families," Keith hissed, "if Voltron's not there to stop Zarkon from zapping the hell out of everyone!"

If Allura hadn't been directly in his line of view Shiro might not have seen her face pale with Keith's colorful image.

"Keith -"

"I have family too," Hunk added in. "I want to see them but...well, actually, Shiro did say this was a _choice..."_

And Allura's face had color again. Shiro just wished she didn't have to look so angry at him.

"You want to leave too?" Allura directed to Hunk.

"Well yeah. I mean, we just happened to get here. Completely on accident. We didn't exactly sign up for all of this -"

Keith stepped up to Pidge in anger. "You want to choose two people over the lives of millions? I can't believe how selfish -"

 _"Keith."_

Shiro stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You choose to fight as Voltron, I respect that." He kept his hand on Keith's shoulder as he turned to Pidge. "If you choose to leave, I'll respect that too." He looked back at Keith with a steady gaze. "A team has to respect each other's decisions. If you force someone to be in a team," he glanced at Allura for a second, "you'll get chaos and tragedy."

Keith said nothing but he didn't seem like he'd advance on Pidge again. With a sigh to himself Shiro turned fully to the youngest member of their team.

"If you think you have to go we won't stop you."

Pidge felt the pressure on her shoulders lift a little, but then Shiro's eyes grew solemn.

"But please...consider what it is you're doing."

The heavy weight of her decision came back. She almost preferred Keith yelling at her than Shiro's soft plea. It would have been an easier decision to voice out. As it was, she couldn't bring herself to look Shiro in the eye.

"I have to go...I'm sorry."

They watched Pidge walk away.

"I cannot believe this," came Allura's quiet voice.

"Princess -" Shiro cut himself off as her gaze suddenly turned to him. He could see the anger just simmering in her irises. It would have been hypnotic any other time. "May we speak in private?"

For a moment he thought she wouldn't agree. Her eyes narrowed and then she gave a sharp nod. Shiro quickly followed her lead as she strode along the edge of the hall, turn a corner and into a side room. Somewhere behind him he heard Coran say something and the music started up again. He had just barely closed the door when she let him have it.

"If you didn't keep stressing how they could turn away from their duties so easily -"

"That is not what I told them and you know it. Pidge is anxious. We all are."

"But we were doing so _well,"_ Allura put a hand to her forehead then moved her hand to give him a suspicious look, "what have you told them recently?"

"Nothing that would make them suddenly miss Earth," Shiro easily caught onto her train of thought. "It was bound to happen. You had to have known that."

"If not you then _someone else_ must have been expressing discontent. Before tonight not of one of them wanted to go home until _Pidge_ -"

"Don't go blaming her for -" he cut himself off too late.

 _"_ Pidge told you she was a girl?"

He could feel pressure building along his forehead. "I figured it out. How did you-"

"The mice," she bit out. "Or else I would not know."

 _And we're back to the first issue._ "They might not have said anything to _you,"_ Shiro irritably stressed, "however -"

He realized his second mistake in the middle of saying it.

"...Not to me, then - you..."

He nearly winced at the sullen look she had. "Princess, it's nothing personal. They just felt better telling me instead of -"

"You knew they felt this way but said _nothing_ to me?"

"There wasn't anything to do about it. We're galaxies away from Earth."

The sullen look was quickly replaced with frigidity. "You withheld information," her hand tightly gripped the back of a chair, "after that quiznaking _conversation_ about secrets and teamwork?"

He stared at the chair. Was it the lighting or was the metal giving way to her grip?

"Allura -"

" _Princess_ Allura, Paladin." She gave him a glare as she released the chair and went to the door. "Do not forget it."

On the other side of the door Allura leaned against it, closing her eyes tightly.

That 'ease of atmosphere' and unity she thought she had felt at breakfast that morning was quick to evaporate. _It had been in my head._ A childish wish for a family that she no longer had. Her eyes opened as she looked up at the ceiling.

Her own naiveté was turning her stomach.

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AN: Thank you for the views and reviews! I appreciate each one. :3 We're getting into parts I really want to write about. :D


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Still the same night as the last chapter.

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It was peculiar how disasters could bring people together.

"Coran! Lance!"

While Allura and Pidge helped Coran stand Shiro slid down to the covered teen and pushed the rubble aside. The last part was a metal sheet that was too heavy for one person.

"Hunk!"

The Yellow Paladin jumped a little when Shiro called him but quickly sprung into action.

"On it!"

Together they heaved the metal that blocked Lance from them. His armor was dirty and cracked in some places. There were burn marks and lacerations all over the Blue Paladin's face, one long cut along his forehead bleeding more than the others. Shiro felt for a pulse and sighed in relief when he found it.

"He's alive but he doesn't look good."

Hunk frowned as he stared at his friend. "Well let's stick him in a pod."

"You can't," Allura worriedly voiced out. "The crystal powers everything in the castle, including the lions' bay doors."

"We'll have to find a new one," Coran coughed. "But without a ship -"

"We'll take my pod," Pidge quickly volunteered.

"Hunk," Coran called the teen over, "I'll need your help getting it."

Shiro assessed Lance as best as he could in the darkened deck before turning his attention to the remaining teen in the room. "Keith, go to the infirmary for some bandages."

"The doors won't open," Allura cut in before Keith could move. "But I'm sure the Arusians are in a panic at the moment."

"You want me to calm them down?" Keith gave her a dubious look. "Why don't you?"

She bent over to grab the hem of her dress. "I've got the bandages."

Shiro frowned. "Princess you don't have to -"

The clean white fabric ripped easily. "That head wound needs staunching immediately."

Keith turned to Shiro.

"Go."

The Red Paladin was off.

When she had a couple of pieces she knelt down on the other side of Lance. Shiro lit up his hand to better look at the bleeding wound. It didn't look deep but it could get infected. He looked up to Allura and she leaned over to see.

"It looks shallow."

The glow faded as he took the offered bandage. Gingerly she held Lance's neck up so Shiro could wrap his head. The teen moaned a little but did not awaken.

"Thank you," Shiro quietly said.

"I did it for Lance."

He didn't have to be looking at her to know she had a disapproving frown on her face.

"I did not mean to keep secrets from you."

"Yes, you did."

"...Pidge's secret, yes. I'll agree to that one. But it was from everyone."

She held up another bandage. "I suppose you're consistent in that."

He grabbed her forearm gently, making her look up suddenly.

"I'm not trying to isolate you from the team."

She stared at him for a couple of seconds more before pulling her arm out of his hold.

"I'd hate to see you try."

Keith's sudden reappearance prevented him from saying more.

"The Arusians' village is under attack!"

Allura held Lance as Shiro quickly finished wrapping his head.

"I'll go with you. My presence here brought unwanted attention to their land."

Keith eyed her dress. "You should probably stay."

"I dress quickly."

She stood up and was already passing the dark haired teen. Keith looked to Shiro for confirmation.

"I'll stay here with Lance. Go help the Arusians."

* * *

They had no vehicles to travel in. Thankfully the Arusians knew the shortest pathway.

Allura could smell the fire before they saw it. The poor Arusians wailed and bemoaned their burning village. Keith stepped up to the edge of the hill as he looked over the land.

"There's a sentry. I'll take a closer look."

"Keith!"

He was already sliding down the hilltop. A couple of Arusians grabbed her for comfort. She leaned down to hold them tightly.

"I am sorry," she half whispered.

There was a boom in the distance. Allura shot her head up to the fire but saw nothing else. A rumbling sound echoed into the night as she looked behind her. Was it her eyes or did she see a flash of light? A unsettling feeling began to creep along her spine.

 _How did the crystal shatter? _

There was the possibility that all of the activity wore out the 10,000 year old crystal. Or whoever attacked the Arusians now had distracted them with a bomb in the castle. Coran had not seen how it broke. Lance could probably tell them if he was awake.

 _Could it be..._

 _"It's a trick!"_ Keith's alarmed voice sounded out into the comms in her earrings.

Allura straightened up from holding the Arusians. She walked closer to the edge, trying to make out his uniform in all of the smoke and fire. The quaint Arusian homes they had visited were now crumbling, breaking, burning. She squinted, not seeing why Keith would say that.

"What do you mean?"

 _"There's no one here! We were set up!"_

She felt her throat tighten as she turned her attention to the castle. The lions were locked inside. Pidge had been leading Coran and Hunk to a ship, which, by now they were out looking for a crystal. Lance was injured and down while Shiro-

 _Alone. Outnumbered._

"No," she breathed out quietly.

She took off running without even thinking about it. Keith soon caught up and ran next to her, some curses slipping out of his mouth. She tried not to think about the odds Shiro had against a force of angry Galra or how the last things she said to him were so biting and bitter when earlier she had been happy. Liquid was forming along the corner of her eyes but the wind was quick to wipe it away. She knew the Galra had no mercy, especially towards Shiro or even a whole planet of innocent people. How petty her anger seemed now that she was faced with such a grim scenario.

 _I'll do better,_ she inwardly promised him. _We'll all try harder._

"Just stay alive," she breathed out subconsciously.

They were close. She tried not to panic when a tainted purple barrier sprouted from the top of the castle. She pushed her legs more, ignoring the hot tightness of her muscles as she repeatedly told herself they could make it, they _would_ make it...

"No!"

They both skid to a halt as the barrier completely fell down. Her legs gave out but she refused to fall completely to the ground. She took a knee instead as she breathed heavily. Keith took out his bayard and tried slicing at the barrier.

"That won't work," she numbly told him.

He put it away and slammed a fist against it. "Shiro and Lance -" his body cut himself off as it forced him to breathe. " _Damn it."_

* * *

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AN: I'm so excited that people are excited! :D Sorry to break this part up but mood wise I thought it was a good place to split it to another chapter.

I tried deleting that line near the end but it won't go away. XD


	7. Chapter 7

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Unfamiliar voices filtered into Shiro's consciousness.

He kept his eyes closed as he became mentally aware. The side of his face was against something cool and smooth. _The castle floor. So the Galra got in after all_. There were just too many of them and Lance...He wouldn't dare give up his teammate. He shifted a little, trying to take stock of his condition.

His brief fight with Sendak left him bruised but he didn't think anything was broken.

He listened to the steps around him, trying to get a count. _There are more sentries than Galra._ His subconscious remembered the differences in sounds of the footfalls of the sentry and Galra, having heard it often enough over the year he was captured.

Funny what his mind decided to remember.

He'd shake his head if he wasn't pretending to still be out.

He chanced a very short squint before closing his eyes again. Lance was just out of arm's reach but still unconscious. He could try to take out a soldier as he walked by then get over to Lance, take a stance near him as they came to attack so they didn't try to use Lance as leverage again.

The beginnings of a plan started to form.

His eyes involuntarily shot wide open as something painfully heavy smashed into his back. He couldn't withhold the pained gasp as he tried to get out from under it. _It's..too strong._ He tried to lift his head to look but the object shifted, catching his head. He breathed heavily as his face was uncomfortably pressed into the floor. Something liquid slid down his face. He would have thought it was sweat if it weren't for the stinging sensation of a cut along his temple. He could see fragments of the crystal lying around him.

"I know you're awake."

 _Sendak._

* * *

The tainted castle barrier glowed in front of them, mocking them.

"What _can_ we do?"

Allura's hands fisted. "The barrier is too strong for us to break down and all the controls are inside."

Keith deeply frowned. "So what, we just sit on our asses?"

"I _want_ to do something," Allura snapped back, "but there isn't anything we -"

 _"Keith."_

Allura's head shot up. "Pidge?"

 _"I can't talk loud. There's sentries everywhere."_

Keith quickly put on his helmet to listen in as Allura continued to talk.

"Are you not with Coran and Hunk?"

 _"No. I'm still in the castle."_

Keith and Allura shared a tentative, hopeful look.

"Pidge," Keith spoke into his helmet, "do you see Shiro and Lance?"

 _"Rover did a moment ago. They're at the observation deck."_

Allura bit her bottom lip nervously. "...Are they -" she held back ' _still alive'_ just in time, switching to, "Do they look well?"

 _"Both were out when I saw them. No missing limbs or anything. That's all I was able to see before Rover was kicked out."_

Allura sighed in quiet relief. "The best thing we can do is prevent them from launching the castle."

 _"How?"_

"I'll guide you through it."

 _"...Ok. Let's do it."_

* * *

The Galra commander's steps echoed as he approached but he made sure he was at least a step above Shiro to better look down at him. Sendak put more force on his robotic arm, taking unmasked delight in the way Shiro's legs squirmed.

"Guh!"

He eased the pressure slightly once Shiro made a new sound. "It's been a while _Champion_. I see you found a new fighting ground." He turned his head to look around and then gave him a fanged grin. "Think I'll take."

"If you're able to," Shiro spat out.

When he spotted the glow of Shiro's hand he let loose a shock.

The Black Paladin clenched his teeth as he held the reaction in.

Sendak gestured to a sentry with his head. "Get his hands. Can't have him using what the druids gave him." He adjusted his hold while Shiro's hands were cuffed behind his back. "These are special cuffs. You can forget about using that destructive right arm of yours."

Shiro wouldn't say he was temperamental or cocky but something about this Galra really set him on edge. "That afraid of me?" he hedged in a rough voice.

Once the cuffs were on, Sendak forced him to sit up. Shiro silently glowered at him as the robotic fingers dug into his ribs. If it weren't for the armor he might have felt them crack. The glower was short lived as Sendak gave him another jolt. Shiro let out a hard breath this time.

"You look at me like that, insect?"

Shiro's head was bowed down but his glare still showed through his white bangs. It made Sendak bark out a laugh before harshly pushing him to the ground. Shiro grunted as he struggled to right himself.

"Still have that fire." Sendak stepped down completely. "The fights haven't been as entertaining since you've left." He paused by the roughed up Blue Paladin, lightly kicking at his leg to see if he was really out. The paladin didn't react. "I'm sure Emperor Zarkon will be pleased to have two new fighters for his entertainment."

A surge of protection and anger filled Shiro as his eyes burned with intent.

"I'll take you down before that."

"With your hands behind your back? Intriguing proposition but unlikely."

"Try me."

Sendak stopped at that. Then his arm shot out in a blaze of purple, pinning Shiro down again. This time Sendak came with the arm and pushed his whole weight down onto his captive. He twisted his arm, making it grind the paladin down into the sharp remains of the castle's crystal.

"Hurr!"

"You think you're strong, that you can withstand anything." Sendak leaned his fearsome face downwards, the shadows making his grin wicked and his eyes glow with demon fire. Shiro struggled to breath but couldn't escape from the devil's gaze. "Your strength is not your own. Never has been and never will be. We took your dominate arm and repurposed it to serve _us_." He sneered in Shiro's strained face. "You're branded for the Galra. _Never_ forget that, earthling."

Shiro blacked out from lack of air. Sendak finally let go and walked away.

"Haxus, ready for launch."

* * *

Team Voltron was doing well despite some technical Altean jargon barriers.

Dawn was upon them already but Keith and Allura stayed where they were. They foiled the launch thus far but Allura wasn't sure for how long. She listened nervously as Pidge's heavy breathing sounded out as she ran away from some sentries.

 _"Ahh!"_

"Pidge! Are you alright?!"

 _"I'm fine. Stop yelling in my ear,"_ Pidge grounded out.

Allura felt her brow tick. "I cannot help it. I'm concerned about you."

 _"Well concern quieter!"_

"Will you stop bickering and get the barrier down?!" Keith bit out in impatience.

 _"Not all of us aced gym class mullet!"_

Allura let out a "Hah!" without meaning to despite not knowing what a gym class was.

"It's not funny you idiots," Keith sputtered in anger, "It's not even clever!"

On the other end Pidge couldn't help but grin. _"Oo Keith. You name called the princess."_

There was a smack followed by an "ow!" on Keith's comm. Pidge grinned as she wiggled out of the air duck.

 _"I found the room. Hang on, let me zap this Galra."_

Allura and Keith waited, hearing a loud hum before an unfamiliar voice yelled out.

"Got him?" Keith asked.

 _"Oh yeah."_

That unfamiliar voice yelled out something to Pidge. All they heard was Pidge's response as she declared herself as a paladin with marked pride. It made Allura smile a little. It was unfortunate that Pidge would leave after this. But it made Allura feel better knowing that Pidge did want to be a paladin. Her leaving was a matter of familial duty and ties that could not be bested by anything. She could understand that.

She would do anything to keep Voltron active.

A fight must have broken out. They could only listen as Pidge grunted and moved about. When she yelled out very sharply Allura felt her concern return acutely.

"Pidge?!"

The younger teen did not respond right away. That made Keith repeat her name.

" _I-I'm fine...but Rover's gone..."_

"Oh Pidge..."

They heard another voice sound out through Pidge's comms.

 _"I'll get you for this! All of you! Voltron will stop your whole empire!"_

There was a hissing answer from the Galra they could only partially hear. But they did hear Pidge's sharp breath.

 _"Shiro?"_

Collectively, their breaths were stuck in their throats. Pidge must have been closer to whatever communication device the Galra was speaking through for they heard the Black Paladin's voice very clearly.

 _"Pidge, don't listen to - !"_

The Galra's voice sounded over the electricity. _"Trying to keep from yelling only makes it hurt more."_

The low electric sound suddenly increased in volume.

 _"Nnnn...ahhhh! Gaah!"_

Keith gripped his bayard tightly as he could do nothing but listen. Allura instinctively grabbed his arm for support. When Shiro's yell persisted Allura could feel her hands trembling.

" _Stop it!"_ Pidge voiced out.

 _Please,_ Allura begged internally.

It was silent once more. The Galra said something but Allura didn't hear it. Keith let out a shaky breath as rage coursed through him.

"I'm gonna get him," he darkly muttered. "For Lance and Shiro."

"We will," Allura murmured back. "We quiznaking will."

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AN: Just a reminder I'm not doing scene for scene...though it does feel like it. XD


	8. Chapter 8

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Carefully, Coran prepped Lance for the cryopod.

Allura stood by the pod itself, entering the sequence for healing rather than hibernating. In the background she could faintly hear Pidge's voice as she talked to Shiro. Earlier Allura had walked by the healer's alcove in the back where Shiro was, quietly clenching his hands every now and then as Hunk plucked out the shards of crystal that managed to pierce his suit.

"You did so much for Matt. I couldn't let them do more to you..."

Allura glanced behind her again. At this angle she could only see Shiro's arm as he half embraced Pidge. Paws touched her cheek. She turned her head, feeling the mice nuzzle her. She smiled and scratched their heads.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about Lance and Shiro."

The mice squeaked at her, making her purse her lips.

"Yes, _both_ of them."

They looked at her steadily with their beady eyes before scurrying off to wherever it was they liked to go. Keith shifted in his stance by Coran. He had visited Shiro earlier then stayed over here.

"Alright Keith," Coran's voice sounded out, making Allura turn back to what she was doing. "Let's get Number Two into the pod."

Keith grabbed Lance's arm and slowly put it around his shoulders. "Shouldn't Hunk be Number Two?"

Coran took the other arm with a shrug. "It's hard to tell Hunk's actual height when he slouches all the time."

"Yeah that's true." He then frowned as another thought occurred to him. "But I'm not shorter than Lance."

"Mmm, your hair adds height."

"Not that much!"

Allura shook her head. "If you'll put Lance in here..."

They half stepped into the pod to prop Lance then stepped back. Allura tapped the screen and the pod closed. Keith crossed his arms as he stood by. In the back Pidge was walking out of the infirmary, wiping her eyes a little. Allura noted that Hunk had activated the alcove's curved wall for privacy, making the entrance narrower.

"It'll take a quintant or so for him to heal."

"Alright."

When Keith did not say or do anything else but stand there Allura turned her attention to Coran.

"Could you see to our guest?"

"More like prisoner."

Allura lightly frowned at Coran's tone. "That Galra will do more damage if we let him loose."

"I suppose..." Coran sighed. He was about to walk but then halted. "Ah, I still need to attend to Shiro."

"I'll take over." She looked over at the alcove. "Take Hunk with you."

"Yes Princess."

Allura watched Coran call Hunk and the Yellow Paladin stuck his head out. She began to walk over. Coran gestured in her direction, saying something else to Hunk that finally prompted the teen to move once Shiro was addressed. By the time she reached the entrance Coran and Hunk were gone.

She knocked on the side. "May I enter?"

"Princess," came Shiro's quiet voice, "of course."

She stepped inside and paused by the entrance, seeing him dab at some small cuts along his stomach. He did not look up as she came closer to the low table he was sitting on nor when she eyed the bowl of blood tipped crystal shards.

"Hunk got all of them."

"That's good to hear." She moved to his back, silently taking a clean cloth and tipping the bottle of healing _salmute_ until the cloth was damp. His black under armor was off and to the side with the rest of his upper suit. She tried not to linger her gaze unnecessarily. Gingerly she dabbed at a wound on his lower back. "Tell me if this hurts."

"Alright." He continued to work silently. After a moment, he spoke up again. "Pidge is staying."

"That is good to hear."

"Hunk too. Said he met a brave Balmeran we need to save, apparently." Shiro grabbed a clean gauze when the one he was using became too bloody to help. "The Galra trapped her people down in caves." He murmured quieter making her lean in a little to hear, "She's never seen the sky."

Allura paused, unable to imagine such a concept. It made her sad, but then she smiled at what Shiro also mentioned.

"Her?"

He gave her a shrug. "A friend."

"Ah yes."

She cleaned a longer cut. He didn't even flinch. She vaguely wondered if his body was desensitized to pain. Immediately after that thought she recalled him screaming as he was electrified for a terribly long time. When they finally reached him and Lance the Black Paladin looked past exhausted...

He flinched.

She stilled her hand, seeing that it had been tracing a jagged scar along his spine.

"I did not mean to -"

"It's ok." He let out a silent breath when her hand moved away. "They're hard not to look at."

 _That's not true,_ she wanted to say. But he'd know she was lying. Instead she said nothing in response to that, moving onto the next cut.

"You could go into a pod."

 _"No."_

She looked up at his brisk tone. He glanced at her over his shoulder, his dark grey eyes apologetic.

"The concept of being unconscious in a long narrow tube -" he cut himself off, "I'll heal the traditional way."

"It's your choice. The _salmute_ does promote quicker healing."

" _Salmute?"_

She gestured to the bottle. He nodded his understanding.

"Are you ready for the bandage?"

He picked up the long bandage and started it off for her, wrapping along the front half of his torso before handing it to her. She tugged the material tight as he held onto one end, then he took it back from her to do his front before handing it off. They did this silently until she was able to tuck and secure the end along his right side. She stayed behind him once she finished. He quirked a brow as she did not move. Then he felt something touch his left shoulder.

He looked to see her forehead leaning against him, her hair covering her face from his view.

"Princess?"

She shook her head, trying to compose herself. "I am - " her voice cracked just a little, _"so_ sorry."

"Princess Allura," he made to touch her head but hesitated. He dropped his hand back down on the table. "There's nothing to forgive."

He felt her shuddering exhale skirt along his back. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling goosebumps forming along the area that had been breathed on. Then he opened his eyes, raised his left hand and lightly placed it on her head. Her hair was softer than he thought it would be.

"We'll get the hang of this," he murmured. "It just takes time."

Her father's words came to her. _'Nothing good comes from impatience.'_ Her eyes closed, feeling the weight of Shiro's hand as a solid reassurance.

"Yes," she quietly replied back. "Of course."

When he felt her head lift up he removed his hand. Her eyes were a little glossy but nothing fell from them. She walked around the table while she wiped the corners of her eyes. His eyes followed her as she stopped in front of him. Without a word her fingers went along his jaw and moved his head to the side.

Grabbing a clean gauze and adding _salmute_ she proceeded to clean off the dried blood trail along the side of his face. It was difficult for her to tell how big the cut along his temple was with the trail. He was still as she worked, his eyes flicking up to her once he could not stay silent anymore.

"Thank you for this."

Her fingers lingered above his skin as she looked back at his dark grey eyes. She had seen them before but not really noticed their shape. She looked away to fold over the gauze for a clean side.

"It's what teammates do."

Slowly, a smile formed on his face. "They do, don't they?"

She returned the smile with a small one before going back to work.

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AN: So I know some of you must have been disappointed I didn't type up the actual rescue, but it really wasn't going to be different than what happened in the show.

Why reinvent the wheel? XD


	9. Chapter 9

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Ever since Lance woke up there was always someone around him.

His family was big so it was nothing new to him. He actually welcomed it with a smile and a laugh. A huge part of him fed off of all the attention. But when Shiro, the top pilot of the Garrison aka the whole Earth, pulled him aside it was something entirely new. He was sure it was going to be a scolding about his recent flirtation with the Princess. His mouth had a mind of its own. He really couldn't get anyone to understand and accept that fact.

"Coran says you saved him when the crystal exploded."

"I just pushed him away from it."

Shiro looked him straight in the eye with a smile. "I'm proud of you."

Lance's eyes were wide at that. _I don't think I've heard him say that to anyone else._ Not even wonder boy Keith, the right hand of Voltron. His confidence surged to new levels. He focused back to Shiro as his gaze turned serious, almost as if Shiro could read the teen's thoughts.

"Don't let it go to your head."

"Yeah. Sure."

He walked away with his chest puffed up and his head held high. He felt indestructible. People were filtering in and taking their seats for the launch. When Allura came in he swiftly turned in his seat to address her.

"Hey Princess."

"Hello Lance. How are you feeling?"

"Like a genuine hero," he let loose a half cocked grin, "Have you ever had dinner with one?"

Slowly, Allura turned forward to where Shiro was sitting. Her brow quirked as she looked at him expectantly. Already ahead of her the Black Paladin turned towards Lance, shooting him a silent warning look through the visor of his helmet. The teen had the grace to look scolded.

Appeased, Allura raised her multitude of holo-screens. "Coran, are the engines ready?"

"Pulling up their screens now Princess."

Shiro listened attentively as the Alteans readied for launch. The pilot in him was very curious how a ship this size was prepped for flight. The others did not listen, choosing instead to lovingly pick on their fellow paladin while he was down.

"Someone got schooled," Hunk said in a loud whisper.

There were snickers from Pidge and an amused shake of Keith's head.

"And someone's got a ball and chain after one visit," Lance quipped.

Hunk pouted. "Shay's just a friend. How many times do I have to say it?"

"Until you stop denying she's your girlfriend," Pidge egged on.

"Come on Pidge! I thought fellow techies looked out for one another."

"You're an engineer. I'm a communications officer."

"Technically we're all paladins," Keith added in, "so who cares what your title was at the Garrison."

Lance haughtily sighed. "Spoken like a true dropout."

"You're all dropouts." Keith crossed his arms. "Or did you really think the Garrison's going to take you back after all this?"

"Har har. Nice try mullet."

"...Would the Garrison take us back?" Hunk lightly frowned. "I mean, we _are_ missing classes."

"Yeah, but we're saving the universe," Lance defended.

"They don't know that," Keith scoffed. "They don't know _crap_."

At this point those readying for launch caught wind of the conversation. Allura and Coran shared a look. Neither one knew what exactly the Garrison was, but by the way they referred to it they could make assumptions. Allura glanced at Shiro but he didn't see it. He was merely watching them.

"...We probably won't," Pidge murmured. "But honestly, if I had to choose...I'd pick Voltron over the Garrison."

Lance and Hunk stared at Pidge. She was the first one that wanted to leave. Then, slow smiles appeared on each of their faces.

"There's nothing like Voltron," Hunk agreed.

"I'd pick Blue any day."

Keith leaned back, satisfied.

Coran beamed at the responses of the others and turned to Allura to share her joy. But she was looking at Shiro's face, his expression unreadable. They've been through a lot these past couple of quntants. She honestly did trust his word when he said he would help, when they vowed in the infirmary to try harder, to be better teammates and leaders of this mismatched group that somehow fit together as if by design...

But a niggling feeling was nudging her, keeping her from being completely at ease.

"Are we ready for launch?"

She blinked, seeing that it was Shiro addressing her. "Just about."

He frowned a little in question. She gave him a small, reassuring smile. His eyes assessed her expression but could not see what was the issue. Partly mollified, he turned back to the front windows of the observation deck. She pushed aside the uneasiness, choosing to go over what her father told her about launching the ship. Her fingers glided across the screens, seeing nothing wrong.

"Brace for launch," she called out.

* * *

Answering their first distress signal did not go as Allura thought it would. _As if anyone could have predicted this_ , Allura sighed to herself as Shiro's eye twitched.

"What happened again?" Keith voiced out in his helmet's comms in heavy disbelief.

 _"I was flying Nyma around in Blue but kind of...lost her."_

" 'Her' as in Nyma or the Lion?" Pidge asked.

 _"Both."_

"Where are you now?" Shiro asked.

 _"I...have no idea. I'm just tied to a tree."_

"Oh Lance," Allura softly groaned.

Shiro took a couple of seconds to rub his forehead. "Can you get loose?"

 _"I'm not a magician Shiro."_

"..."

 _"Sorry. Just kind of anxious."_

"Sit tight. We'll go after Rolo then figure out a way to find you."

 _"Thanks Shiro."_

"Lance."

 _"Yeah?"_

"We'll need to talk afterwards."

 _"...Ok."_

* * *

Having Lance's team find him handcuffed to a tree was probably one of the most embarrassing things he had ever had happened to him, save for any embarrassing things he did as a toddler like eating his mom's flavored lip balm that was scented like candy but most certainly _not_ edible and having that moment photographed for eternity.

Making his way to the observation deck for his meeting with Shiro was, by far, the most nerve wracking walk of his life. He seemed to be passing by everybody even the blasted mice. Hunk's grave "Vaya con Dios" did nothing to ease his mind. With such heightened nerves he nearly yelped when the sliding door whooshed closed behind him.

Directly in front of the windows stood Shiro with his back to him.

He felt like he was facing his final judgment, what with the darkness of space the courtroom and the tiny stars his jury for the trial. He walked as slowly as he dared. His shoes were too noisy. His hands were too clammy. His breath was way, _way_ too shallow. He never really heard Shiro yell at anyone before.

 _Is today my lucky day?_

...Even a joke in his head did nothing for his nerves.

He stopped about five feet away from Shiro. The Black Paladin did not turn around. He wiped his hands against his pants' leg, waited, then finally opened his big mouth.

"Nice weather huh?"

He really hated that he couldn't just _wait_ a little while longer.

"We were in this room when I told you I was proud of you." Lance felt that sting, seeing where he was going with this. Shiro turned around, his hands folded behind his back. "I also told you to not let it go to your head."

 _Dios, just kill me now._ The disappointment in his leader's eyes was like lead in Lance's soul.

"I know I messed up Shiro," Lance replied with a rasp.

"...I think you _don't_ know."

"Shiro -"

Lance stopped himself upon seeing Shiro's hand raised. He brought it down when the talkative teen listened to the wordless order.

"All five Lions are needed to form Voltron. Which means each individual is responsible for their own Lion." Pause. "Rolo was going to give the Blue Lion to Zarkon. If Hunk hadn't placed a tracker on their ship...Your vanity trip could have cost us. The universe, actually."

"...I screwed up _big_ time," Lance's head hung low, "Maybe...I wasn't cut out for this."

He felt Shiro's hand on his shoulder.

"You did mess up," he murmured in a slightly less stern voice, "but it doesn't mean you weren't meant to be here." Lance looked up at that. Shiro gave him a faint smile. "The Lion chooses its pilot, remember?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Good. Now get some rest cadet. We'll be all motion once we reach the Balmera."

"Ok." He was about to turn but then halted. "...Hey Shiro?"

Seeing the teen's expression Shiro moved his left arm to the side. "Come on buddy." Lance stepped in for a half embrace. Shiro felt him give his torso a tight squeeze. "You're a part of a team now. There's no room for solo performances."

"I know," came Lance's quiet response.

"But being on a team also means having support."

Lance smiled at that. "I know that too."

They disconnected. Lance left the room feeling a lot better about being a screw up. He didn't even notice Allura waiting outside the door. She was about to bid him a "good night" but the teen was clearly not aware of her presence. She took no offense to that. There was something else on her mind.

"Lance looks subdued but better. You're not the punishing type I take it?"

Shiro looked away from the windows with a soft hum.

"Not really."

She stood beside him, staring out into the window. "I cannot count the number of times I've seen you gazing out here."

He stared at the swirling purple and blue colors in the distance. "Space has had my interest since I was a child."

"It is entrancing." Pause. "Even overwhelming at times."

"Yes."

"You were the first pilot to fly to the furthest reaches of your star system, correct?"

"I was. Who told you?"

"No one. I simply overhead them talking."

He turned to look at her profile. "This isn't what you want to talk about."

"It is, in a way." She grabbed her elbows without realizing it. "I don't think I've heard you talk about Earth. Not like the others. Or the Garrison, whatever that is."

"The Galaxy Garrison is where we train for space exploration." His lips quirked a little. "I'm the only one that's completed my training, unfortunately."

She shared an amused look with him. "That does explain a lot."

The amusement faded from his face. "Why ask _me_?"

Anyone could give her answers about what life on Earth was like. Lance was clearly the more eager and willing choice to answer her. She followed the pathway of an asteroid belt, the red brown rocks still in motion as they were suspended in time.

"...I am perplexed by your silence." Her gaze softened a little. "Do you not miss Earth?"

"At times."

"Would you go back?"

He stared at her eyes, the dark purple hues of her pupils bleeding into the blue of her irises.

"I did," he quietly murmured. "And they strapped me down." He lifted right hand, letting it faintly glow so the plates of metal and the screws could be outlined by the mysterious power of his arm. "Wanted to run tests."

She looked aghast. "Your own people?"

The glow from his hand dimmed out. "I was missing for a year. They didn't expect to see a dead man coming back." He gave her a rueful smile. "I don't completely blame them."

"They should have rejoiced," she spat out, "not want to test you like a specimen!"

"Princess, I appreciate your anger. But you have to understand that all of this," he gestured around the castle, "is not typical for Earth. You saw how _we_ reacted."

She pursed her lips. "I do remember." The anger she had felt on his behalf slowly drained. "Your part of the universe is rather young in comparison to..."

"Pretty much the rest of the universe," he finished.

She lightly grinned. "You said it, not I."

He grinned back. "We have a lot to learn from our elders."

She playfully pushed his shoulder. He grunted a little at the strength. He supposed he hadn't been mistaken when he saw her hand crushing that chair days ago.

"That is no way to speak to a princess."

"I apologize my lady."

She looked at his slightly bowed head. Then his eyes lifted up to her. She could see the teasing light dancing in them. Her mouth twisted in a small pout as her cheeks heated just slightly.

"Mocking royalty is a crime, Paladin."

"Who said I was mocking you?"

She could only keep his gaze for a couple of ticks. She turned back to the windows.

"You haven't truly answered my question."

"Not on purpose," he quietly sighed, looking back to space. "I don't know if I want to return."

"Do you not have family?"

"Some." Pause. "But we have a history of pilots. It is not an easy life and that is understood."

"But you fear being kept in isolation," she slowly murmured as she came upon the realization. "Of being a prisoner once again."

"..."

"I am sorry," she murmured, "this was clearly not something I should have inquired -"

"It's fine, Princess. I probably would have wondered too if I was in your position."

"...You are very forgiving."

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. He wasn't completely sure if it was a critique of his character. Seeing the faint smile on her lips, he took that it wasn't.

"Not always."

She looked back, the heavy words being accompanied by a shadow in his eyes. _Zarkon._

"We should discuss the rescue mission."

He nodded his head. She led the way over to the control panel, pulling up the information they had thus far. She paused in lifting up the screens. He looked at her in question.

"...Thank you. For sharing that." She pulled the screens up, not letting him answer. "Here is the Balmera."

He stepped up besides her.

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AN: A longer chapter! Just trying to move things along to the interesting parts. But since this story is about bonds I don't want to rush it either. XD So hard to keep the flow sometimes!


	10. Chapter 10

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This was a rescue mission to save the Balmerans.

No one could deny the seriousness of their task. Yet, as they each flew around in their Lions, biting, shooting, crushing the Galra's mining tech they couldn't help the surge of adrenaline and excitement that filled them.

"My Lion has fire," came Keith's surprised voice over the comms.

"Mine's got ice!" soon chimed in Lance in too loud a volume. He zapped a part of the mining structure he was assigned to. "Ow! Too cool for you son!"

"Jaw blade?" Shiro murmured as his Lion's screen revealed a new technique. "Let's try it."

"Whoa," Hunk exclaimed as he saw them in action. "What's up with all the new powers?"

" 'Cause we're that awesome," Pidge laughed.

 _Why indeed?_ Shiro easily sliced through the Galra's power generator and quickly left the area as it exploded behind him. Coran whooped in their comms and said some Altean phrase.

" _You're doing phenomenal Paladins_ ," came Allura's encouraging voice.

Shiro felt a thrill up his spine at the compliment, frowned, then realized that it was his Lion thrumming in response to Allura's praise. _Are the Lions responding to Allura's spirit?_ They _were_ connected to her life force. He had thought it only meant that she could locate them across the universe but obviously the bond was more than that. He dodged a starburst laser. _This is to ponder another time._

" _The Galra are still in the caverns_ ," Coran spoke.

Shiro frowned at that. "They're luring us in. But we have no choice."

It was going to take a good amount of risk to save the Balmerans. But for the freedom of a whole planet it would be worth it. They were just going to have to be cautious about it.

"Let's go team."

* * *

The almost childish excitement quickly dissolved the further they went into the caverns.

After mentally scolding himself for mislabeling this trap as an ambush Shiro tried to use his right hand to cut into a sealed door but to no use. Keith and Pidge tried prying at another door with their bayards and Hunk nearly shot himself as his bayard's blast reflected off of the door. Lance promptly put away his bayard upon seeing Hunk's failed attempt.

"We're gonna die," Lance bemoaned.

Shiro looked back at him with an incredulous look. He was going to have a nice long talk with Lance about what a Paladin _shouldn't_ do, such as freaking out in front of the person they came to save. It didn't help anyone and only made him and his team lose credibility as Voltron. People needed to know that they could trust them with their lives.

"Princess Allura can you 'beam me up Scotty'?" Lance begged on the comms.

"Try not to sound too desperate," Keith darkly glowered.

The newly freed Shay bent down to the ground. "I will reach out to the Balmerans again."

"What's that rumbling?" Pidge murmured as she looked down at her feet.

"The Balmera." Hunk frowned as he felt it too. "I think it's in pain."

The Balmera's pitiful moan echoed. Pidge and Hunk shared a look.

"Can we still save it?"

Hunk looked at Shay's form. "We have to try."

Shay did not notice the look but continued to press her hand against the Balmera. Shiro's eyes grew grim. _Is it possible to save a creature this large?_ How would they even begin to heal it? It was something he was going to have to ask Coran once there was a moment. Right now was not the time. He was still trying to get a signal from the castle.

"Princess, Coran. Do you read me?"

The line was static for a moment, then there was a strained, _"Yes."_

Shiro frowned as he looked upwards as if to see beyond the ceiling. "Princess?"

 _"We're surrounded and taking heavy fire!"_

The team was alert. Shiro frowned as he picked up booming sounds.

"How many?"

There were several alarms sounding off. He couldn't lie, that worried him.

 _"Too many! The particle barrier won't last!"_

Coran's voice was low in disbelief. " _Princess..."_

"What's wrong?" Pidge jumped in.

 _"It's a battle cruiser. Paladins, if it fires its ion cannon -"_

"We'll get there," Shiro voiced out. "Just hold on."

"How are we going to get there if we're stuck in the middle of a beast planet?!" Lance freaked out.

Keith had the sense to smack him. "Stop giving up before we try."

"Shiro," Pidge came up to him with a frown, "we _are_ pretty far into the Balmera."

If this were any other time Shiro would have been grateful to see Pidge's concern for Allura. But now was not the time to rejoice in their growing bond. He looked at Shay, saw her features twisted in deep, desperate concentration. Allura entrusted the Lions to them, the last relic of her people - her _father._

 _"Paladins,"_ Coran yelled out in the midst of the booming lasers, " _they're trying to take the Lions!"_

"We'll make it," Shiro firmly stated.

They had to.

* * *

The ride back to the Lions was much longer than the journey inside.

The entire time Shiro's voice could be heard over the comms. The others were silent, mostly because they didn't know what they could say to Allura and Coran. In this dire moment of dread and urgency they were each glad they were not the leader. There was a renewed appreciation for the head of Voltron, a leader that could offer comfort and hope when everyone else was stuck in a speechless anxiety. So they listened and took comfort in his surety.

"Hold on Princess," Shiro murmured as his speeder zoomed through the bumpy tunnels. "We're getting closer."

 _"The ion cannon's too powerful!"_

"We can do this. _You_ can do this. Just hold on."

The team gripped the handles of their speeders in response. They could. They would.

 _Shiro, if Coran and I don't make this -_ "

"You both will."

 _"...Please, scatter our remains where Altea used to be."_

Their courage faltered at that, especially as Shiro was quiet on the comms.

Maybe...they couldn't...

On Shiro's end, his hands gripped the handles of the speeder with vigor. "I'm not doing that because you're going to be fine," he grounded out.

 _"Promise me."_

"Allura, don't make me promise that," he said with a slight rasp as his throat tightened. The damned tunnel seemed to be stretching out even longer. "I'll get to you." His voice gained strength as he talked. " _That's_ what I promise."

Their leader let out a yell as he gunned it.

As easily as they had wavered they found their courage again. Their heads bent low as they all forced their speeders past its limits. The screens were blaring red as the engines were overheating. They didn't care. They could finally see the opening of the tunnel.

The Black Lion was the first to burst free with a thundering roar.

The others soon joined him in the sky.

* * *

The sudden emergence of Voltron from the Balmera's atmosphere was a sight Allura wouldn't forget.

She felt energy coming back to her as Voltron pushed the ion cannon away with fresh power. She stared in amazement for a moment, hearing their joined battle cry over the comms. It renewed her spirit to hear it. Now was her chance and she wouldn't disappoint. She quickly locked onto the cruiser with Coran's guidance, aimed, and fired without hesitation. The castle felt the rumbles of the explosion as the whole Galra fleet was caught in it.

" _Nice hit Princess!_ " Lance hooted.

She leaned heavily against the controls. _I surely thought we would die._ Her eyes drifted past the screens to the figure of Voltron hovering in space. Her eyes closed as a small smile made its way on her face. _He did promise._

The momentary peace was shortly lived.

For a new enemy was burning through space and the Balmeran atmosphere.

* * *

The vile beast wasn't weakening even a little.

" _Will this thing just die?!"_

 _"We can't evade and attack forever."_

 _"Guys, my Lion's too slow for this kind of fight!"_

 _We can't beat it._ Shiro knew that. It was far too advanced than their current skillsets. But the Balmera was dying and there were many lives at stake, including their own team. He made his Lion glance over at the landed castle then frowned. He could see a glow underneath it even from this distance.

 _"The ritual was never meant for an entire Balmera. Just for the spot in which the crystal was taken!"_

He raised the volume of Coran's comm above his paladins'. He wasn't liking the sound of this conversation.

 _"Coran, if I can heal it then I have to try."_

 _"But Princess...it could kill you."_

Shiro did not breathe for a couple of seconds. Then, "What are you doing? You just need to evacuate the Balmerans."

 _"...No. I need to save them. The Balmera included."_

 _"Allura?"_ came Lance's voice, quieter than anyone had heard.

 _"Thank you all. For everything."_

Before anyone else could say anything, the whole planet glowed. In a rushing wave of bright blue energy the dark, dead Balmera flourished with gleaming crystals amidst the lighter, healthier earth. They could only stare in wonder. Even the robotic beast sent to kill them paused in its destruction.

 _Allura did this?_ Shiro couldn't believe how much energy she had to expend. _Unless...she used all of it..._

"Allura?"

There was no response from her comms. He sharply turned his Lion completely around, giving the beast his back to risk a look. His Lion zoomed in. Allura was down on the ground. Coran was going to her now.

"Coran? Is the Princess -"

" _She's alive. Just out at the moment."_

He let out a breath. Then grunted as a laser hit his Lion. Now was not the time to be distracted.

"Hunk, let's try your bayard again!"

* * *

After healing the Balmera Allura remembered coming to.

Coran was holding her. Shiro and the others were out of their Lions and rushing over to her. The Balmerans were still kneeling from the ritual but were smiling now. Faint crystals gleamed everywhere. She felt elated.

"Allura."

She paused in standing up, feeling Shiro's hand take her other arm. Then, there were screams. They tore their gaze to find the source of the screaming. The dreadful beast was back up despite its wounds.

"But how?!" someone exclaimed.

She couldn't remember who. All she knew was that the Paladins were out of their Lions and the beast was charging up for a final, deadly blast. _We're not going to make it._ She squeezed Coran and Shiro's hands, she could feel her eyes about to give into darkness again. But at least she wasn't dying alone. Not like her father did...

Then, crystals shot up from the earth, encasing it.

 _The Balmera._

The relief robbed her of what little strength she had.

* * *

Her head was aching. Her eyelids felt so heavy.

Allura came to, seeing Coran by her side.

"She's awake!"

"Princess, are you alright?!"

She saw that the team was there except Shiro before her eyes gave up yet again.

* * *

Allura could just make out Shiro's figure in the chair.

She groaned a little as she attempted to sit up. The chair squeaked as he moved closer.

"The Balmera -"

"Is alive, thanks to you."

His eyes looked tired. He wasn't even dressed for sleep.

"You should be resting."

He half shrugged. "Probably." He gave her a faint smile. "Though I suspect you more than I."

Allura groggily rubbed her head. "I feel like I do."

He sat forward in his chair as far as he could. He had not entered Allura's quarters with the others the first time. He needed a moment to think, consider what they had all gone through and what exactly was bothering him. It didn't take him long to figure it out.

"Allura."

She turned her tired gaze to him. His face was so serious.

"Do not ask me to promise that."

"Promise what?"

He looked at her steadily. She slowly nodded in recollection.

 _'Please, scatter our remains where Altea used to be...'_

"I asked," she quietly replied, "for I would do it for any of you."

He dropped his forehead onto his folded hands. She was being very calm about it. _Too calm._ It unsettled him to hear it coming from her. _She shouldn't accept this outcome so readily._ He felt her hand on his head. He stilled his breath for a brief moment. Her fingers lightly moved through his hair before coming off of his head. His eyes closed tightly at the gesture then reopened in decision.

He lifted his face up to her. "...Alright," he murmured so softly. "But do not ask again. _Please."_

For it was an end that could happen. He could at least offer her this consolation, however grim it was and despite how much he despised to think of it.

"Thank you."

He nodded his head and stood up to go. He was at the door when her voice called out.

"...Shiro?"

He turned to her, just staring at her expression in the low lights. It reminded him of when Lance looked to him in a wordless request for comfort and reassurance. But her look felt different. The situation _was_ different...and yet not at all. He walked over slowly, taking his time to sit on the edge of her bed to make sure this is what she was asking for. In answer, she scooted over to make room. He eyed the mice on her pillow and curled half on top of her hair.

"They won't mind."

He quirked a brow. "Or they'll just bite me."

"They won't." She covered her mouth as she yawned. "Unless they smell your fear."

He paused in slipping his shoes off. "You're talking nonsense." Lightly, he pushed her shoulder down. "Go to sleep."

She gave him a sleepy smile before closing her eyes. He laid down on top of the covers, his hands folded over his stomach and his eyes looking up at the ceiling. He could leave once she was completely out. He eyed her face half buried in her pillow.

 _Or stay..._

For she was not the only one that needed reassurances.

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AN: Drama and cheese. Oh how I love thee, especially the drama to come. XD

I edited this chapter several times. Sorry if it seems episodic, but it hits parts I wanted to write about.


	11. Chapter 11

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 _There was one rule of the arena that Shiro counted on._

 _'Survive the night and you earn treatment.'_

 _Shiro grunted as the sentries tossed him and his 'teammate' into an already occupied cell. Sometimes the fights were themed or special circumstances placed to keep it entertaining. Today's fight paired off the fighters unevenly - strong with weak, short with tall - and chained them left hand to right hand. Thankfully his right hand had been the free one._

 _Unfortunately, his partner was also right handed._

 _Shiro gasped as his bruised body protested the rough landing. He gripped his side tightly, he'd be surprised if a couple of ribs weren't cracked. There was labored breathing next to him. He quickly remembered his partner's condition and forced himself onto his knees. In the poor lighting he could just see the bloody stump where his partner's left hand used to be. The 'bandage' the sentries had tied was already soaked through with dark green blood._

 _"Hang on Gopi."_

 _One of the orange alien's black eyes was closed due to a bloody vertical cut. He doubted he'd be able to see through that eye ever again. One handed, Shiro ripped his rag of a shirt and struggled to wrap it around the stump. With a bit of impatience he turned to the prisoner sitting along the wall._

 _"Help me."_

 _The dark blue alien merely continued to sit. Shiro narrowed his eyes beneath his dark bangs and went back to his task, using his teeth to help tie the knot. Gopi whimpered as Shiro tied it off tightly. He gave him a sympathetic look but did not ease the knot. If he had any chance of surviving it needed to be tight._

 _"We should rest."_

 _Shiro helped him shuffle to an unoccupied wall. His ribs were screaming at him. He clenched his teeth behind his closed lips. Most of the fighting had been done by him. Gopi warned him that he was a potter, not a fighter. But even then, Gopi had tried to block an attack aimed for him, losing his hand in the process._ _He owed him his life._

 _"Keep your arm elevated on your knee."_ _Gopi didn't even attempt to fight Shiro's maneuvering._ _"Just hold on for the morning."_

 _Gopi closed his eyes tightly. "So long...I don't think I -"_

 _"I'll look after you." He shifted around, bringing his leg under Gopi's to help elevate the injured arm. "I promise."_

 _Shiro truly had meant it. But he had underestimated his fatigue..._

* * *

The first time Shiro woke up on his own.

In the dark he reached out for Allura's hand on the pillow. He felt around for the underside of her wrist to her veins but he couldn't find a pulse. He sighed, pushed aside her hair to reveal some of her neck. He was no doctor but her pulse was calm, not erratic. Then he reached out for her forehead so he could check her temperature.

Everything seemed to be ok.

Two hours later, a nightmare woke him up. He jerked awake, his right arm having struck out in the air without him realizing it. Allura half awoke at that with an unrecognizable mumbling. The mice's soft snoring sputtered for a second and then continued. Her hand tiredly went along his right forearm, bringing it back down on the bed.

"Sleep."

His breath was still short but he managed to shake his head. She was clearly ok if she could manage to order him in her sleep. _But just in case..._ With two fingers he reached out to the spot where her neck and underjaw met. She moved a little, making his fingers slide along her neck instead. She squirmed a little at the touch, then attempted to push his hand away.

"I'm checking your pulse."

She mumbled out something. He tried again, this time getting the spot he wanted. With her moving around, her pulse felt a little different and she didn't feel too off temperature wise.

He closed his eyes to sleep.

The third time he woke up because something was covering his nose. He snorted awake abruptly, quickly shaking his head to remove whatever was on his face. When he heard squeaking he rubbed his face with a sigh. _Of course._ He knew they wouldn't want to share a pillow. He made to scoot his head away but he felt little claws on his cheek, almost as if the yellow mouse was shaking him awake.

"What the - "

Their squeaking only increased in pitch. He sat up to activate the low lights. He stared at Allura but her hair was covering her face. _She looks too still._ He quickly moved her hair aside to feel her pulse. It was too faint. Her skin was cold.

"Princess." He shook her shoulder but she did not rouse. "Allura!"

There was slight motion under her eyelids. He wasn't too late. He wrapped her up in the comforter to keep her warm. Then his hands hovered over her, his mind trying to think about what to do. _Drop in temperature means shock, which means a blanket._ For wounds, he would clean them then re-bandage them. For blood loss the person would need more blood.

What the hell was he supposed to do for energy loss?

He suddenly thought of the blue glow from the castle, the same color as Allura's energy as she stood under the ship and revitalized the Balmera.

"The crystal," he breathed out in answer.

He picked her up and ran for the observation deck. He nearly slid along the floor as he turned a corner too fast but he didn't have time to put his shoes on. Along the way the castle lights turned on, leaving a trail behind him.

Breathless he reached his destination.

He hurried over to stand under the crystal where Allura usually stood. The platform lit up and the two control pillars rose. He looked down at her. There was nothing happening. He shifted his hold on her to pull up the screens. He found an intercom. He didn't have time to figure out how to buzz just Coran's room.

"Coran, come to the observation deck. It's urgent."

He repeated his call. Allura's head suddenly slacked against his shoulder.

"Allura?"

He brought his head lower. He couldn't feel or hear her breath. He hit the alarms then swiftly laid her flat on the ground. He couldn't find a pulse. He started doing compressions. Then he checked her pulse. He continued on, putting a little more force.

Still nothing.

"Come _on._ "

He could feel sweat slide down the side of his face as he did more compressions. Because of the alarms he didn't hear the deck door slide open.

"Shiro, what's -"

Keith paused in the doorway, his breath caught as he saw what their leader was doing. He thought he wasn't particularly fond of Allura but he didn't hate her either. Seeing her still form on the ground as Shiro attempted to restart her heart made him realize that he wasn't exactly impartial.

"We doing another drill?" came Hunk's sleepy yawn.

Lance was close behind him. "I hope not or else - ohmyfreakingquiznak!"

That snapped Keith out of it, already knowing what Lance was thinking. "He's helping her breathe, stupid."

On cue, the princess' head abruptly arched away from Shiro's as she gasped in more air.

"Right," Lance attempted to cover over his mistake, " 'cause, why would Shiro call us to watch him kiss the princess?"

"Shiro's kissing who?"

Hunk turned to the sleepy eyed Pidge. "No one. Lance just jumped to conclusions."

"Someone get Coran," Shiro sharply demanded.

The group jumped at that and were about to move but the man in question was already pushing his way through. Keith quickly moved over and then followed the Altean. The rest followed suit. Coran shut off the alarms with a slap on the screen then dropped down. Shiro adjusted his hold on Allura so Coran could see her.

"As I feared. She's lost too much quintessence."

"Well can we just zap her with quint-whatever?"

Pidge, Hunk, and Keith gave Lance a thin glare.

"She's not a battery," Pidge huffed.

"Why not use the crystal?" Hunk asked before Shiro could suggest it. "It powers the castle."

Coran looked grave. "The crystal would only act as a medium to transfer quintessence into her."

"If the Princess could restore a planet, then why can't you," Keith directed to Coran, "restore her?"

"Not all Alteans can do a revitalize ritual. Very few could throughout our history."

"...Shiro's arm," Pidge murmured. "It can focus his energy and release it at will. Or quintessence, I guess."

"But wouldn't it be an attack?" Lance frowned.

"He could transfer it through the crystal first, then to the Princess," Coran murmured in thought. "That may neutralize the force of it."

Shiro felt her pulse. It was too weak.

"Let's try it."

"Whoa now," Lance stepped up as Coran lowered the crystal, "before we zap her - like I suggested - do we even know this will work?"

"It's an idea," Pidge started with a frown. "But we -"

"But nothing! We just survived an incredibly dangerous fight together and now we're _causing_ the danger?!"

"Hey man," Hunk put a hand on his shoulder, "we all get it. But the Princess doesn't look good."

"Let's return her energy back the old way. Sleep and food like normal, rational human beings."

"She's not human," Keith dryly drawled. "Or normal."

"She's still one of us!"

"Lance." Shiro called out in a stern voice. "She's _dying_."

The words rang in the air like the Balmera's weak death moan.

Shiro put his hand on the side of the crystal. "Coran, are we ready?"

Lance looked at Allura's prone position under the crystal then looked at the nearest person. Keith was paler than usual, eyes wide like he was seeing a ghost. He turned completely around to Hunk who was already holding onto Pidge along his left side. Lance went to his right side, ducking his head against his shoulder.

 _"Dios."_ He couldn't stomach to watch.

"Now Shiro!"

The Black Paladin released his power slowly at first. The purple energy looked like a taint in the blue glow but then as it traveled down to the point it seemed to dilute in color. Coran did something on the control panel then looked to Shiro. He added more juice. The crystal glowed more. He felt his head getting lighter.

Then Coran opened it.

Blue light shot out from the tip and hit Allura. Those watching couldn't see anything for a moment and then sight was returned to them. Shiro was down to a knee, clutching his head. Coran was kneeling on the ground, blocking their view of the Princess.

"Did it work?" came Lance's soft question.

Allura's legs moved, making Hunk release his breath. "Yeah."

* * *

Coran carried Allura back to her room.

The rest of the team went back to bed, secured in the fact that the experiment was a success. Shiro laid on his cot feeling his body drained unlike anything he'd felt before but his mind wide awake. He was trying to not think about finding Allura's too still body lying in her bed in the morning. He heard a scratch at his door. He opened it, picked up the yellow mouse and left his room.

He had intended to stay the whole night anyways.

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AN: So I broke up this scene into two chapters. It was getting really long. XD I don't know why but I like the idea of the yellow mouse taking a liking to Shiro. :3


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Second part of the previous chapter. Heads up where you last left off.

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 _Her body felt light._

 _Allura was drifting in the sky with the wind currents. Her arms stretched out like wings of a plane as the sun hit her face. Her fingertips cut through the white clouds with ease, never stilling, always in motion._

 _Then, alarms sounded._

 _She looked down to the control panel, seeing that there were two bogeys on the radar. They were on her tail and approaching fast. Her gloved hands stayed on the familiar steering wheel of her plane and waited, waited...Then she sharply turned to the right at the last second and dropped the nose of the plane down. The below wind current gave her plane a boost, as she had predicted. She lifted her head, seeing an explosion of paint as the "missiles" were caught in the winds._

 _The radar sounded again. A plane this time._

 _S_ _he rolled the plane as the combatant took a shot. Pilot Randal Harris was older than her, more experienced. He had even gone to Mars twice and was the first to reach Saturn before an unexpected storm forced him to stop his journey and return home. In other words, he was a highly decorated pilot._

 _Good thing she had a couple of medals too._

 _Harris was coming down on her. She went lower to the canyon, ducking under arches and slipping through cracks that only allowed for a very narrow margin of error. This area was new to her and Harris to keep the Kerboros competition fair. She was out in the open. Harris was waiting, having gone around the whole maze of rocks to the opening where she would appear._

 _His position cost him._

 _Her eyes looked at the branchy bushes rustling then quickly deployed the back flaps. A strong gust of wind went through the canyon, sweeping up Harris' plane as he tried to fight against it. Meanwhile she drifted alongside it, letting the current push her to a side opening and out of the way. Nature was not something a person could fight. That's what pilots like Harris didn't understand._

 _Timing was surviving._

 _She felt herself slip out of the plane and into a dark, dank cell._

 _There was a disgusting smell all around her, in the air, in the walls, in her very clothes. She was disoriented, having woken up so suddenly. Her ribs hurt. Her arms were sore. Her left leg - her left leg felt wet and warm. Her breath caught in her throat._

 _"Gopi?"_

 _She grabbed her partner's shoulder, giving it a good shake. The orange alien stayed still, his stained wrapped stump of a hand slipping off to his side._

 _"He was calling for you," voiced out the dark blue alien on the other side of the cell. "But you wouldn't wake up."_

 _Guilt and anger clawed inside her._ _"Why didn't you do anything?" She roughly questioned in a voice that was not her own._

 _"Does it matter when he goes?" The prisoner shrugged. "He would have died in the next fight."_

 _Her hands fisted tightly_. _She knew he wouldn't have lasted long past this scenario, but the naïve part of her still hoped otherwise._ _Then her hands unclenched and leaned over to close Gopi's good eye._

 _"I'm sorry," she murmured with remorse._

 _The sentries were at the cell door. It was now morning._

Allura jolted awake.

Her eyes were wide but staring at nothing as the memories made her heart clench. She took deep breaths of clean, cool air. Those memories weren't hers. She ran her hand over her face. It didn't take a genius to figure out who they belong to but she didn't understand why she had them. She dropped her hands away from her face, jolting again when she felt an arm next to her. For a tick she was expecting Gopi's lifeless body chained to her hand.

Shiro was on his stomach, his right arm under the pillow.

He was very still. Shakily, she reached a hand out to his shoulder. He did not stir. Wide eyed she shook him harder, making the yellow mouse next to him slide down the pillow to his neck. The motion made his head shoot up. Groggy eyed he looked at her, the room, and then back to her with more alert eyes.

"What's wrong?"

She didn't answer. The relief coursing through her was so strong, she half expected him to be dead. She covered her eyes with one hand. _Gods._ How long would this memory linger?

"Princess."

She shook her head. "I did not mean to wake you." She felt the bed move. She kept her face covered, knowing that he wouldn't drop it until she told him something. "...I need to see my father."

He slowly nodded his head. "Alright."

He moved the yellow mouse back onto the pillow then swung his legs around to put his shoes on.

* * *

The rest of the day Allura stayed in her room.

Their morning training continued. In the afternoon they had free time. Hunk visited Shay when he could since they were still on the Balmera. Allura was not well enough to help awaken the crystal. Coran could pilot the ship but since they landed Allura was needed for the beginning.

"We shouldn't stay in one spot too long," Shiro murmured as he looked at the holo-map.

"I agree." Coran sighed as he moved the image along. "But we can't risk the Princess' health."

"I wouldn't suggest it," Shiro calmly reassured him. "Is there anything we can do to help her heal?"

"At this point, no." Pause. "Thank you for sparing some quintessence."

"Teammates look out for one another."

"Mm, yes." Coran gave him a sidelong glance. "I suppose you were in her quarters for that reason?"

Shiro caught his eyes. "The first twenty four hours of any serious injury requires supervision."

Coran looked at the sleeping yellow mouse's ears peeking out from Shiro's front vest pocket.

"And the pet is for...?"

"They're connected to her mind. If anything happens while we're out of range of her the mice can -"

Coran chuckled, cutting him off. "Always so serious." He slapped a hand on Shiro's back. "You mean well, I know. If it was Lance, on the other hand," Shiro didn't miss the steel glint in Coran's eyes, "we'd be having another conversation."

"You and me both," Shiro dryly intoned.

Coran hummed to that. "...Granted, the Princess is old enough. Her decisions are hers to make. But I know Alfor would be restless in Oriad if I let someone unworthy near his daughter."

Shiro kept looking at the map. "We could head towards here. There's no asteroid belts or debris so we could have the ship on autopilot."

"That is a good place. We wouldn't need the Princess to use the thrusters or teledev." He patted Shiro's shoulder. "You're a good man."

Coran walked away. Shiro slowly blinked.

If Coran could see the memories he had, he wouldn't say that so readily. He sighed to himself. But he was trying to recover who he once was. That was all he could do really.

* * *

The second night came.

Shiro checked her pulse and forehead. Allura didn't tell him that Coran already checked her vitals.

"Your pulse is a little high but better than too low I suppose."

"That's good," she murmured distractedly. Her father's advice regarding her dreams were in the front of her mind but she didn't know when a good time to broach the subject. She bit her lip a little, then decided that no time was really better than another.

"Coran tells me you gave me some of your quintessence."

Shiro sat back onto the chair. "You were very low."

"Thank you."

"Teammates don't have to thank each other for every incident," he half smiled.

She looked down at her hands. She could still feel the manacle around her right wrist. _Shiro's,_ she mentally corrected. She looked up to him, her gaze subdue.

"Last night I...saw some memories."

He did not understand right away. She knew when clarity hit. His small smile was gone, any trace of ease was replaced with tension.

"...Which ones?"

"A competition against a Pilot Harris..." she lightly traced the edge of her comforter, "and Gopi."

He took a sharp intake of breath. She sat quietly besides him for a moment.

"I didn't think that would happen."

"You did what you could for me and for that I am grateful." Pause. "As you did what you could for Gopi."

"...I'd rather not talk about that," he lowly murmured.

"He's still in my head," she whispered.

He closed his eyes tightly. She lightly touched his right arm.

"It's alright."

He slowly removed her hand. "No. It's not. It wasn't." He stood up from the chair. "I'm sorry that you saw that."

"Was he a friend?"

"Let it go Allura. _Please._ "

She could see the shame so clearly on his face. "You did nothing to be ashamed of."

He frowned at her, then realized she must not have seen the whole memory. He felt partly relieved and partly disgusted with himself for feeling calmer about it. But he still didn't want her to know more. When he regained the memory he could barely look himself in the mirror. He didn't think he could take it if she felt the same way.

"I'll keep the yellow mouse with me in case you need anything."

"You're not staying?"

"Twenty four hours is usually a good amount of time to monitor someone."

"And that's -"

"One quintant."

"Oh."

"Good night Princess."

The door closed before he could hear her reply.

* * *

 _The sentries stood in front of Allura._

 _She frowned at that. "I need the key."_

 _"Paired fighters go together," came the robotic response. "Or not at all."_

 _"He's...dead."_

 _They stayed where they were. She felt her mouth dry up at what she was going to have to do. But her ribs needed attention. She lasted the night, so earned the right to be treated in the infirmary. She struggled onto her feet, feeling the chain that binded her to Gopi feel heavier. Using what strength she had left she heaved the orange alien over her left shoulder._

 _One sentry went in front of her and the other behind._

 _As they walked down the halls she could feel liquid seeping into the back of her shirt - his blood from his missing hand. She breathed in short breaths. Her ribs were not liking this added weight. But she refused to drag him on the ground like trash. She owed him more than that._

 _The sentry leading went right. She frowned._

 _"The infirmary's on the left."_

 _The sentry behind her pushed her to continue walking. Her heartrate was steadily picking up. Changes in this place were never for the better. An ashy, bitter smell filled the corridor they entered. Her eyes widened as she saw two other sentries tossing in a pair of lifeless fighters into a square opening. She heard them tumble down a tunnel and the flames of the incinerator lit up the opening._

 _"I'm still alive," she protested._

 _"Paired fighters go together," repeated the robot._

 _"No," the sentry behind her took her right arm as other one took her left, "wait-!"_

 _She struggled. Gopi's smaller body slid off her shoulder to the ground. She stumbled a little, stepping on his body. An idea came to her. A terrible, dishonorable thought. She enacted it before she could regret it. With a great yell she grabbed the chain and put all her weight into her foot._

 _A sickening crack of bones filled the air. Gopi's hand was still connected to the chain. With a trembling hand she removed the remaining piece from the manacle and dropped it on the rest of his body._

 _The sentries' lights flickered as if scanning her._

 _"Single fighter. Multiple injuries."_

 _They escorted her back down the hall towards the infirmary. Behind, she heard something tumbling down then smelled the new scent in the air. She almost relieved her stomach but she forced herself to persevere, to not look back._

 _Shiroganes were survivors._

 _She clenched her hands so tightly she pierced skin._

* * *

In the middle of the night, the yellow mouse darted away from him.

Shiro watched as the mouse shivered in the corner of the cot, curled into a tight ball. His eyes closed with grim realization. _She knows._ It was bound to happen. He should have figured the memory would have continued the next night.

He rarely got what he wished for.

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AN: Since this is T I did not go too descriptive but I hope it wasn't too horrific...


	13. Chapter 13

5/24/18: Made some minor edits but I think it reads better.

AN: Strangely wanted to start with a quote.

"When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?" - the creature from _Frankenstein_ by Mary Shelley

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Keith wiped his face with his towel as Coran's announcement rang out in the training deck.

Today was the day they were going to launch into space. He grunted as he grabbed his bayard from the ground and looked up to Shiro, expecting to see him walking to the door. He frowned. Shiro did not pause in his training.

"We should be heading out."

"You can go on," came Shiro's half breathless response.

"...You don't want to come?"

"Hunk, Pidge, and Coran are enough to assist the Princess."

Keith's frown deepened. During the week he gradually noticed things about Shiro's behavior. He was training at odd hours for longer durations, which probably cut into their leader's sleep time given the dark circles just visible around his eyes.

 _I'd even say he's been quiet._

They all were, to a certain extent. Between what happened on the Balmera and the Princess almost dying their team was definitely subdued. But for Shiro...Maybe he was more alert about Shiro's mood because he knew him longer. Or the change was just more noticeable because Shiro was the leader. He looked down at his bayard and then back to Shiro.

 _He's stopped wearing his paladin armor too._

Half the time Shiro could be seen walking around in it, even practicing in it so he could be accustomed to fighting in it. He would even say that their leader looked more comfortable wearing the armor than not. Lance would tease Shiro about it behind his back, calling him their Boy Scout Leader.

"Shiro...is something wrong?"

The Black Paladin finished his roundhouse kick in the air then smoothly turned to face Keith.

"I'm fine Keith. Just...it's the memories."

Keith's frown eased a little. That was something he could see happening.

"They're still coming?"

"Not as frequently." Shiro lifted his shirt to wipe his face. "But it's nothing. They'll let up soon."

"If it gets too much..."

"Thanks Keith," Shiro faintly smiled. "These training sessions do help. Honest."

He knew Shiro was saying that more for his benefit, but it did make him feel like he was helping. He sighed to himself. Being a private person himself he felt like it was up to Shiro to decide something like this. He wasn't the sort to push the issue.

"See you later."

Shiro gave him a small wave. Keith left the room.

Shiro brought his right hand down, staring at the foreign hand. The fingers weren't always black and the metal plates weren't always clean. His mind supplied a memory of them wet and red. Sometimes green or purple. Orange or blue. He fisted his hand tightly, trying to banish the image.

But blood was blood no matter the color.

* * *

The last anyone saw Allura was when they were trying to save her life. So when Coran brought her out to the observation deck they naturally turned their attention to her.

"Princess Allura," Hunk smiled widely. "Welcome!"

"Oh yeah," Lance gave a fist pump, "our Space Queen is back!"

Pidge stood up from her seat. "Are you feeling better?"

Even Keith was looking at her in concern. She felt her insides warm at their worrying.

"I am. Thank you." Pause. "Where's Shiro?"

Hunk, Pidge, and Lance turned to Keith. Keith withheld the urge to shrink back at all the eyes. He hated being the center of attention, good or bad.

"He's training. Said we didn't need him to launch, so..."

Allura felt partly relieved as well as disheartened. But she knew why the absence, why the Leader of Voltron would not want to be around at this time. Not with her presence in the room.

"...I understand."

She cleared her throat then stepped away from Coran to activate the pillars.

* * *

After the launching Allura stayed in her room.

Hunk at least knew she was eating something since he saw Coran loading up a tray of food every now and then. But she didn't appear to be eating too much of it. The ticker timer went off with a pulsing hum. Hunk slipped on his mittens and took out his new food experiment. Maybe this could tempt her.

Pidge was downstairs in the lower level messing with the Galra crystal.

Lance was doing whatever the heck Lance did besides sleeping and skin maintenance.

Keith was going to train like always but this time Shiro locked himself in the training deck, forcing Keith to wait in the viewing room above. The Red Paladin watched as Shiro practiced some katas slowly, then gradually went faster. He looked at the ticker.

 _Shiro's been in there for over two hours already_.

Even from this distance he could see his face dripping with sweat, his shirt a crumpled mess on the floor. He frowned at the scars that he could see even from this distance.

 _I thought I understood the extent of his trials._

He wasn't stupid enough to think he actually knew anything. None of them did. They were all inexperienced, wet behind the ears, zip space adventure teenagers. But he knew Shiro better than anyone else here. His mentor was a calm, patient person, not easily rattled. Even with what's happened so far he was still giving advice and looking out for all of them.

If there was something seriously wrong he'd doubt Shiro would still do that.

That had been Keith's initial thought.

But as Shiro suddenly pounded the floor with his activated arm and stayed half kneeing in the mini crater he made in the floor with his head bowed down low, Keith wondered if, underneath all of that mentoring, all of that leadership, Shiro was just barely hanging on.

The Black Paladin suddenly straightened, picked up his shirt, and left.

He crossed his arms. He was going to have to wait for the training room to fix itself. That floor was still a cracked mess.

 _Shiro..._

Maybe some pushing was in order.

* * *

Shiro walked down the central hallway that was connected to the others.

He needed something to drink before hitting the showers. He wiped his face then left his shirt around his shoulders. His body was tired. His mind was tired. He hoped it would be enough to just fall into a dreamless sleep for a couple of hours. He wasn't foolish enough to hope for a whole night's rest of no dreams.

 _I haven't fully slept since Kerberos._ He felt a rueful crooked smile on his face. _To think I always needed at least eight hours of sleep._ He felt lucky to just get three. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted motion. Coran was helping Allura walk from a direction he had taken her down just once, when she had woken up in a shaken state...

"You need rest Princess," came Coran's quiet scolding. "Alfor would have my moustache if I let you walk around in this condition."

"Coran, I cannot sleep without seeing my father's -"

She stilled when she saw him.

He noted her tired eyes. He thought about the yellow mouse darting away from him that night, curled up in a tight ball as if to make itself unseen by him. He didn't see any of the mice again after that. He didn't blame them. Or her. He closed his eyes for a second then turned.

He walked away.

He didn't know how to handle this.

* * *

There was a knock on her door.

Allura roused herself into a sitting position. For a tick she wondered if it was Shiro but then recalled his turning away in the hallway without a word. _It's probably Coran or Hunk._ The treats Hunk made had been eaten by the mice but she appreciated the gesture.

"Come in." It was silent. Then the door slid open. "Keith?"

The Red Paladin had his hands in his jacket. By the slouching of his shoulders she took it he didn't want to be here too long. If at all. As it was he was still in the doorway.

"You need to talk with Shiro."

That was not what she had been expecting. "Why me?"

"You push." He gave a shrug. "I'm not really like that with these kinds of things."

She gave him a flat look. "What kinds of things?"

He looked down at his feet. "He's not sleeping." He looked back at her with a serious expression. "It's...his memories."

Her eyes lowered to the bed. "There's not much I could do about that."

"...He doesn't like to worry us. If we ask he'll just feel guilty and try to bottle it up more." Pause. "But you're like the co-head of Voltron. I think Shiro would be willing to tell you than any of us. Or listen to you, I guess." He kicked the floor a little. "Not sure what he needs exactly."

"Nor do I," she murmured softly.

"What?"

"It was just a thought to myself," she said louder. "I cannot promise anything...but I will try."

"Ok."

He turned around suddenly and left. She shook her head in amusement then sighed as she let herself fall back onto her pillows. The mice squeaked indignantly at the abrupt awakening but were quick to come back next to her and sleep. She stared at the ceiling as her mind wandered.

 _'Let it go Allura,'_ Shiro had pleaded in sincere earnestness, ' _Please.'_

She brought her arm to cover her now closed eyes. She had found out what happened with Gopi, as she had ignorantly wanted. But even worse... _He knows I know._ That night she had reacted subconsciously. She had remembered too late that one of the mice was with him. She hadn't reined in her emotions from the mice fast enough, judging by his avoidance.

But it had _ached_ so much.

The injustice of it all, the lack of options in so short amount of time, his overwhelming guilt...He had been so thoroughly _disgusted_ with himself in the memory so "her reaction" had been what his was. But it wasn't what she thought at all. She felt sorry for the decision he had been forced to make.

However...

"How do I lead someone with so many burdens?" she whispered.

It was the very question she was trying to answer with her father.

* * *

There was activity in the castle.

Shiro could hear it above him but he would not be distracted. He had been standing here all morning and he'd continue to do so for the rest of the day. He stared at Sendak's frozen form. The Galra looked at rest. He felt his brow tick.

He honestly thought he could wait longer.

But apparently even he had his limits, especially in this sleep deprived state he was in.

"You're the prisoner now." Shiro leaned a fist against the glass. "But we're not inhumane like you."

Nothing happened.

"You must be worried about your _empire._ " After hours of standing here he felt his patience finally snap. "You're frozen and disarmed! I won't let you go until I get some answers!"

He pounded the glass. A small piece of purple memory strand fell into the small tank next to Sendak. He watched it glow a little for a moment. _I wonder..._

"Don't like being trapped?"

Another strand came out. _Hit a nerve, huh?_

"I'm sure Zarkon has use for broken soldiers."

The strands stopped growing too soon. Shiro frowned. He needed more information.

"How long have you been a commander?"

Nothing.

"Where do you take the prisoners for work camp?"

The short strands seemed to be mocking him.

"Zarkon's weaknesses...tell me the worst one."

 _'...What weaknesses?'_

Shiro looked around him but there was no one there. He frowned. _Is lack of sleep finally catching up with me?_ But now was not the time to think about that. He had a mission to do.

"Where is the headquarters? How do I infiltrate it?"

 _'You want to return so soon? I knew you would come around.'_

Shiro's eyes grew wide as the voice spoke. It was Sendak but - _Did his eyes just flash?_

"You're frozen. How can you be -"

 _'You can still come willingly. I'm certain Haggar will take the transformation slower if you do.'_

"That witch has done enough," Shiro spat out.

 _'You fool.'_ Sendak's wicked laughter echoed in the corridor. _'You self righteous fool! She's only bringing out what is already inside. You were pleased when the crowds chanted for you in the arena-'_

His face paled. "No, I wasn't -"

 _'It's only natural. A Galra soldier takes pleasure in what he does, no matter what it is.'_

"I-I'm not like you."

 _'Look at your arm, look at your brand. I told you...that arm is for the empire. Your strength is for Zarkon. Stop fighting the inevitable.'_

"I don't have to hear this!" He covered his ears but stayed at his post.

 _'But you will. For a soldier never abandons his post.'_

Shiro's eyes widened even more. _How did he know what I thought?_

"I...am a Paladin of Voltron," Shiro breathed out. "Your empire _will -_ "

 _'Paladin? With all that blood on your hands?'_

He felt his breath still. It was something that was on his mind lately. A doubt that took root once he recovered more memories and it refused to let him go. He sank down slowly without realizing it as the voice continued.

 _'You mar the suit, the good name of Voltron.'_ Sendak darkly chuckled.

He bent over, feeling the doubt grow larger than he could handle. He thought he could move on from being a victim, a prisoner, a plaything. He had been so relieved to have a new purpose, a new identity that would allow him some control over his life.

But now - could he continue being a Paladin...?

 _'Do your fellow Paladins know the extent of what you've done? What you've seen? Why,'_ the chuckling grew louder, _'you'd scare that Princess to death if she ever knew the monster behind the suit.'_

He couldn't take anymore. "Stop it!"

His hand nearly went through the pod. He stared wide eyed at the fractured glass. He used to be a calm man. Slow to anger and violence. Where was that man now? He felt his eyes lower.

But the voice was not done with him.

 _'Or'_ Sendak murmured above him, _'does she already know your true nature?'_

He felt his breath catch. He made the mistake of looking up. Sendak's fangs flashed at him and that dreaded, demon fire of his pupil-less eyes piercing him in victory over his brokenness.

He slammed his hand on the eject option, needing the reprieve. Immediately he realized his mistake, his great folly. He leaned against the empty pod with his heart pounding faster than ever.

"You...are a fool."

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AN: Next chapter might be shorter but I thought it was better to have all of this in one chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Still the same night. And a longer chapter than the last. Go figure. XD

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Allura had finally fallen asleep when she felt it.

The electric thrumming along her cheek jolted her awake, in turn waking up the mice sleeping next to her. She stared with sleepy eyes at the blue glow of her father's AI sitting on her bed.

' _Allura. My beautiful daughter.'_

"Father. You can move outside of the chamber?"

She felt his electric hand move to her forehead. She flinched at the sudden zap but did not withdraw from him. Her eyes half closed a tick later. The mice shook their heads as their minds felt fuzzy.

' _You left the chamber too soon.'_

"I did," she murmured quietly.

 _'We should continue talking.'_

Her brows furrowed a little. "But Coran said I should sleep."

Her father stroked her hair, his hand glowing a darker shade of blue. The frown on her face eased as her head lazily laid back on the pillow. The mice's heads dropped down as well.

' _When was the last time you saw the ballroom?'_

"I...can't remember."

His hand went to the back of her head. Her eyes closed as memories arose from the past. Altean flutes and stringed instruments filtered into her mind as swirling dresses and coat tails danced along the floor. The blue flames of the glowing lights surrounding the court made her father's armor shine as he stood up with his hand out for hers...

 _'Your coming out celebration.'_

"Yes...You had announced me as heiress. The future queen." Her eyes opened and she gave him a small pout. "You also invited the court to announce any offers for my hand."

He heartily laughed. _'It's tradition.'_

Her cheeks were flushed. "It was embarrassing."

 _'I thought you liked Mulful's son.'_

"As a playmate when I was a child."

' _You would have meetings together first. Then decide whether to go into courtship or not .'_

"I suppose." Her eyes looked downwards. "Not that any of that matters."

 _'Your people do not matter?'_

"Of course they do. But such traditions are not relevant anymore."

 _'Why not?'_

"...Altea was destroyed."

 _'According to who?'_

It's not there." Her brows furrowed. "Coran and I searched for it but -"

His hand glowed and went along her head. Her face distorted a little with his shock then relaxed once more.

 _'Altea is alive.'_ He stroked her hair again. _'Would you like to see it?'_

"Yes," came her soft whisper.

Her father went to the door. She slowly pushed off the covers to follow.

* * *

Lance thought he had a lot in common with Allura.

They were both attractive, lean, and brave. She was a princess and he was charming enough to be a prince. They'd be the ultimate powerhouse couple if she'd ever just admit her true feelings.

He also thought that he was the most sympathetic of the humans when it came to Allura's homesickness. That said, it still came as a big shock to him when they ran in to see Allura creating a wormhole to a no longer existing planet.

"Ah, where are we going?"

"Home," she murmured half in a daze. "To Altea."

Her smile was heart wrenching.

"Princess..." Lance frowned. He almost didn't want to say it. "Altea isn't around anymore."

"Father says it still exists. They hid the planet from Zarkon. He destroyed a decoy."

"Really?"

Keith rubbed his forehead as Lance's stupidity continued to show no bounds. He could somewhat understand Allura falling for it. He wasn't sure she was completely awake and aware, given her glazed eyes. But Lance -

"It's a lie," Keith grumbled out. "Obviously."

Shiro stepped up to her. Now was not the time to be thinking about his mistake with Sendak. His team needed him to be focused. They needed a leader. _After this_...He wouldn't think about that now.

"Allura -"

He was abruptly halted as a force field blocked him. Lance jumped up in the air as King Alfor yelled out a warning to stay away, his face suddenly in every reflective surface in front of them.

 _"Madre de Dios!"_

Shiro ignored the warning, choosing to hit the force field again. Keith and Hunk joined in but they only ended up getting shocked. They fell down from the force, only Shiro managed to catch himself on one knee.

"It's too strong," Keith grunted as Hunk helped him up on his feet.

They suddenly were out of the wormhole. The room was a blaze of angry red light.

"Is that -" Lance choked out.

"It's going supernova," Coran gasped.

"Guys..." Pidge's voice was low as she stared at the burning star. "That's going to engulf us any second."

"Allura, turn the ship around," Shiro pleaded. "We're in danger!"

She seemed to have heard him but Alfor kept her distracted with something.

 _'This is real, daughter. This field, the sky, everything...'_

They watched her bend down to pluck something but it was just air to them.

"The juniberries," came her wistful, joyful sigh. "The most exquisite flower..."

Shiro's frown was pained. The corrupted AI was tapping right into her fondest memories. It was clear she wasn't going to break out of this alone.

He turned to Coran. "Can you -"

The royal advisor was on it before Shiro finished asking. "Princess! It's not real!"

"...Coran?"

 _'All of this has been saved for you. Come home and see. We can stroll through the fields of juniberries before sunset.'_

"...They're in season now," she murmured with a small smile. "You can see them past the hills..."

 _'Yes, right by the lake where you lost your favorite blue hair ribbon.'_

"You remember that?"

 _'Of course, my darling. A father never forgets.'_

Pidge closed her eyes for a couple of seconds. She was fond of her father too...wherever he was. This was going to be hard to overcome.

"Anyone else really hating Alfor right now?"

"Lance -" came Shiro's tired voice.

"Not now," Lance finished for him in an almost equally tired tone.

"Princess," Coran swallowed the small lump in his throat. "Altea - Your father is not here _._ There isn't anything to see - the juniberries! There's no sweet scent coming from the flower, is there?"

Allura stared at her hand then scented the flower they could not see. They saw the moment when the spell shattered. Something in her eyes shuttered and shrank away, hiding the light that had shown when she told them they were going home.

Coran hated seeing that sharp enlightenment dull her eyes.

"That's... not Altea."

"No," he murmured to her sadly, "It's not."

* * *

Coming back onto the ship was a mix of feelings.

There was the relief to still be alive but it was a bitter taste. They all knew what having control of the ship again meant, what it had cost the Princess that had already lost so much.

Allura quietly sat in the healer's alcove as Hunk plucked out the glass shards from her hands and arms. Her choice in embracing her father's AI tank to shatter it hadn't been the brightest idea but she had been overcome by so much emotion.

 _Father's memories are gone._

In the chamber she had felt so much but now she felt...empty.

"I'm almost done."

She nodded at Hunk's words, blankly watching as his large gentle hands held her left hand while he plucked out another shard. He was quick and efficient. She didn't feel much except for the moment when his tweezers gripped glass.

"You're good at this," she murmured.

He hummed, not looking away from his task. "I can pluck out the smallest of fish bones." He dropped the last shard in the bowl and then started dabbing the injured areas on her left forearm with the healing _salmute_. "My grandpa can do it the fastest. He didn't like to waste cooking time doing the cleaning."

"Did you learn to cook from him?"

"Yeah. And my mom."

He started doing the gauze. It wasn't tight enough, she could tell but she didn't have the heart to tell him. They were all being so careful with her, offering quiet condolences.

"I'm done...I think."

"Thank you Hunk."

She lifted her hand to grip his but the bandage came loose. Hunk rubbed the back of his neck with some embarrassment.

"Sorry, I'm not used to this part. Let me get Coran." Pause. "Do you need anything else?"

"No thank you."

He gave her a smile then left the alcove. She began undoing her left arm's bandage. Not long after she heard footsteps coming into the infirmary. She looked up but saw Shiro instead. His face was calm though there was something off with his eyes.

"Hunk said you need assistance."

"Well yes," he walked to stand in front of her, "but I thought Coran -"

"He's navigating right now. There's too many obstacles to go on auto pilot."

He took the bandage from her hand. Her hand flinched when she felt his warm fingers. He drew his hand away from her upon seeing her reaction. The fleeting expression that passed his face made her internally wince.

"Sorry," he murmured softly.

"You did nothing wrong."

He managed a small grin. "Your reaction begs to differ."

"Shiro," she firmly grabbed his left hand and pulled it back to her arm, "it was unexpected. That's _all_."

He stared at her for a couple of ticks then looked down at her arm. He pulled her robe's sleeve up a little more but it wouldn't go any further.

"Is the cuff too narrow?" she asked.

"Yes, but -"

She slipped her arms out of the robe's sleeves. Her nightwear's sleeves went to mid arm. Quietly he rolled it above her elbow then started the bandage.

His eyes trailed away from the bandage when he spotted pink. He turned her arm a little, seeing that there were indeed curved lines of pink in the same shade as her facial markings. She followed his gaze, saw what he saw, then pointedly looked away.

He continued with his task. "That was a brave thing to do."

She glanced back at him. "A bit foolish. I should have just disconnected the tank instead of breaking it."

He tied off the first bandage. "Sacrifices are never foolish."

She looked at his metal arm then back at his face.

"How true," she murmured.

He broke the gaze in the pretense of working on her right arm.

"Your wounds aren't serious but I would change them at least three times a quintant."

"Alright."

He tied off the last arm then made to walk away. He felt her grab his left arm, halting him in his steps. He looked back at her but her head was bowed down.

"Princess?"

"...Thank you."

It wasn't what she originally wanted to say. But she didn't know why exactly she had stopped him for. She let his arm fall out of her grip.

He walked out this time.

* * *

It was late when Shiro heard the light knock on his door.

He didn't know what to expect.

But as he opened the sliding door to see Allura's wet eyes he knew it didn't matter what time it was. He lifted his hand but it merely hovered in the air in hesitation. He wanted to offer comfort as he would for the others...as he had offered to her a week ago.

But that was before the incident with Sendak, with the reminder of his bloodied hands. He wanted to drop his hand. He wanted to keep it moving up to her. _But a princess shouldn't touch such hands._

He knew that. And yet...

"I...can't sleep. " Pause. "I thought I would be fine. But I don't think -"

Her voice caught suddenly, making her stop talking. He felt her lean into him, her forehead going against his left shoulder. Her body shuddered. He stayed still as more of her weight increased on him, depending on him to hold her up.

"Why do I feel like this?" came her quiet, broken voice. "I already lost him before today so why -?"

He couldn't stay still. Not in this moment when she needed him to do something. He wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. Her hands tightly gripped his sleep shirt. He closed his eyes as his chin went on top of her head.

"Allura," he murmured in sympathy.

Her face buried into his shoulder as she mourned.

* * *

Shiro's cot wasn't as spacious as her bed.

He was acutely aware of that as her sleeve touched the remaining skin of his right shoulder. There wasn't much space but he at least stayed on the cover while she slept under it. He shifted onto his side, putting his metal arm under the pillow and being mindful of the edge of the bed. The fighter in him had her slip in first so he would be the one facing the door.

The mice slept on the other side of her head. They had been in her robe pockets and came out once they found a place to sleep. Soon, the sounds of their combined breaths made him sleepy. His eyes drifted closed.

Shortly, he was awaken by her choked cry.

"Father-"

She was sitting up with her hand stretched out. Her breath was heavy. She was clearly disoriented. He gave her a moment to gather herself. Her hand dropped down onto her lap. With a tired sigh she fell back onto the bed. She turned so she faced the wall.

"Please don't ask," she half whispered.

"...Ok."

They laid quietly for a while. He dozed off again.

It was the mice that woke him up this time. He couldn't see them but he could hear their soft whimpers. He hadn't known mice could make such sad sounds. He sighed to himself. He scooted closer, daring to put his left arm around her but still on top of the covers. As he felt her shivering lessen he realized something.

 _I can't leave._

No matter the blood he spilt - _Because_ _of the blood on my hands already -_ he was their line of defense. He couldn't let Allura or any of them go through what he did. He didn't want them to go through what she was currently feeling. _Not again._ Not if he had a say in it.

He'll make the hard choices.

He couldn't let Allura be the only one to do that.

He tightened his hold on her for a moment, then gradually relaxed it as he drifted off to sleep now that his mind was more at ease.

Allura's eyes were closed but her mind was still awake. In that moment she found the answer to her question: how to lead someone with so many burdens...

She couldn't. For she was broken too.

Her fingers peeked out from under the cover to lightly touch the tips of his fingers. But being broken didn't mean they were alone. Or weak. If he could find strength despite what had happened already then so could she. She had plenty to offer, though she felt like she barely had anything left.

 _However_.

She refused to give up.

Not now when she had such supportive people surrounding her. She was learning. They all were. She'll be the heiress her father saw. She'll be the co-leader Keith had seen when he went to her for help. Right now though...she needed to borrow Shiro's strength.

Her fingers curled on top of his hand. She felt his hand close around her fingertips.

She slept the rest of the night.

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AN: Since last chapter was more centered on Shiro's mindset I felt like this one should be around Allura.

I personally think King Alfor did some manipulation (besides talking lol) to make her believe Altea was alive. She even saw on the map that it wasn't. I get that it was kind of wishful thinking for her but to that extreme without some kind of mind manipulation?

...Or maybe Allura is a heavy sleep walker. XD

I keep seeing art with Allura having additional markings besides her face. I think it's a cool idea so why not go with it? XD And I will gladly run with it. :P

Thank you for the views and reviews! :D


	15. Chapter 15

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Allura's head lightly moved on the pillow but her eyes were still closed. She felt the hand on her shoulder move her back and forth again.

"Allura."

Her lashes fluttered as she woke up.

She looked up to see Shiro sitting along the edge of the cot. His white bangs were damp. By the refreshing smell of the Altean herbal soap drifting off of him she took it he had just bathed. The previous mornings she had woken before he left to train. But if he had bathed already then -

 _I overslept_.

"You should have woken me," she murmured.

"I did try," Shiro moved off of the cot. "Everyone's still asleep."

She made a disgruntled sound as she slipped off the bed. Her gown raised up a little, partially showing her legs. She caught Shiro's stare before hastily pulling it back down. He cleared his throat and moved to the closet for something.

He didn't know she had markings on her legs too.

She ignored him and opened up the top drawer of his dresser. The mice stayed sleeping on the pillow. She yanked out her space uniform and pulled out her brush. He picked up the hair tie that had fallen on the floor and put it on top of the dresser.

She mumbled her thanks as she simultaneously moved out of his way and brushed her hair. It was better for her to leave already changed in case she ran into someone along the way back to her room. She quickly threw her hair up in a ponytail. She heard the dresser drawer slide close.

"I need to get the training deck ready," Shiro walked over to the door.

"This was the last night," she called out to him, making him pause. "I've imposed upon you for too long."

Shiro shrugged. "It wasn't a problem."

"Thank you." She bit her lip a little. "I'll repay the kindness if you ever need it. You need only to come Shiro. No questions asked."

He turned his head back to her. "I know."

She gave him a small smile. "But you never will, will you?"

He slid the door open. "Don't forget your robe in the closet."

He then slipped out the door.

* * *

Lance could feel his brow twitching as he laid on the floor of the training deck. He wouldn't feel so weird about it if he could actually see what was happening.

"First thing we do," he heard Shiro say, "Look around the area. Are there any immediate dangers? If not, then proceed with caution."

He heard footsteps.

"Look over the body."

He flinched when he felt Shiro's hand on his wrist. "Look for a pulse here or," he squirmed when Shiro's hand went along his neck. "Along the area where the neck and jaw meet."

"I can't see Shiro," came Hunk's voice.

Lance yelped as Shiro lifted him up into a sitting positon. "Right here."

"Dead bodies don't make sounds," Keith criticized.

"I'm _injured."_ Lance opened his eyes to glare. _"_ Not dead you goth mullet."

"He's going to be dead if we don't see what's wrong with him," Pidge flatly commented.

"Lance, relax your body," Shiro instructed. The Blue Paladin sighed but did what he was told. Shiro laid him back down on the floor. "You can have your eyes open if you want," came Shiro's amused voice.

"But I'm supposed to be out."

"Whatever your preference," Shiro turned back to his team. "Now it's important that you don't use your thumb to check for a pulse."

Hunk tilted his head. "Why not?"

"There's a strong pulse from your own body there so you could mistaken it for the injured person's pulse," Pidge enthusiastically added.

"A nerd knows something," Keith flatly rumbled out. "Shocker."

"I bet I know more first aid than you, dropout."

"Pidge, Keith."

Lance grinned. "Someone got schooled," he sang out then blindly pointed his thumbs to himself, "and it wasn't ol' Lancey boy."

"Lance," came the combined groan of his team.

"What did I do?" Lance smiled as he crossed his arms. "I'm just a dead body."

"Hah," Keith grinned.

"Oh you know what I mean!"

" _Cadets._ "

They all shrank back, even Hunk who hadn't done anything. Team properly scolded, Shiro turned back to Lance.

"No matter the injury there is always a chance that the body will go into shock. If they feel cold it's best to put something over them. If they happen to wake up you can even ask them if they're cold."

"Couldn't being cold mean blood loss?" Keith asked.

"Yes." Shiro recalled Allura's prone form. "Or severe energy loss."

Any traces of humor drained from the team.

"I still can't believe that worked," Lance quietly voiced out.

"Yeah," Hunk sighed.

"We were lucky it did," Shiro murmured.

"Luck's not going to help us every time," Keith crossed his arms. "So what do we do if someone's out of juice _away_ from the castle or Shiro?"

"Pidge and Hunk are working with Coran for a solution," Shiro informed them. "We need something small and portable to allow energy transfer from one person to another."

"So we don't have anything right now."

"We have ideas," Pidge defended. "But there's a lot to try to achieve, including preventing memory transfers."

"Transfers?" Lance scrunched his nose in confusion.

Keith turned to Shiro with a frown. "Did the Princess get some of your memories?"

"Yes."

"Were they toddler times?" Lance lightly laughed as he looked at Shiro. "Or maybe awkward pre-teens?"

"...They were more recent memories."

Upon seeing the shadow on Shiro's face Lance felt like kicking himself.

"Oh."

Keith gave Lance a withering look but the teen was looking down already in proper scolded mode. He let it go for now, turning back to Shiro.

"So don't lose energy."

"Basically," Shiro attempted a half grin.

"Hey Shiro," Pidge voiced out, "for the Princess how'd you know when to switch from compressions to breathing?"

"That's a good question," Shiro complimented, "I had already done several rounds of compressions but Allura still wasn't breathing."

Lance's head shot off the floor when he felt Shiro's hands on his chest.

"O-k, no. It's someone else's turn to be the dummy."

"Lance, you were late," Hunk said.

"Last person to arrive is the guinea pig," Pidge grinned. "Paladin rules."

"But it's always _me._ "

"Then don't be last," Keith rolled his eyes.

"It's in my blood to be fashionably late. You guys know this already. I call discrimination on this rule!"

Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose.

Why couldn't their lessons end on time?

* * *

It was after dinner when Shiro ran into Allura.

She was switching between screens when he came up to her.

"Still running diagnostics?"

"There are still some problem areas in the castle," Allura murmured as she read over the chart. "Coran's fixed the more vital parts like the Gladiator and cryo-pods. The food dispenser still acts up as Hunk found out earlier." She glanced back to him. "How was training?"

"We got through it."

She turned her head completely. "You look exhausted."

"So do you."

"I'm better thanks to you."

He looked over at a screen. "Thanks to sleep," he corrected.

She looked at him curiously. "You don't know, do you?"

"About what?"

"Your quintessence." She smiled at him. "It's very comforting. Granted," she lightly grabbed her arm, "I cannot sense it unless I'm close, but all the same..."

"I did not know that," he amusedly replied.

She put her screens down. "I'm done here." She turned back to him. "Do you have any other pressing matters?"

"Not really. You?"

"No."

"Then, would you be opposed if I showed you something?"

"Like what?"

"Nothing horrific," she lightly laughed. "I promise."

He amusedly shook his head. "Alright."

* * *

Allura led him up a tower in the castle.

 _Her starlit sanctuary_ , she had called it.

They sat on some pillows she had left on the floor from a previous visit. He looked up at the big ceiling window, watching as they slowly cruised by the stars around. It was relaxing up here. _Quiet._

He could see why this was her sanctuary.

Out of the corner of his eye he spied her handing off the cup. He took it and drank more of the strongly fermented space juice. It burned his throat more than he cared to admit.

"What is this again?"

She refilled the cup then took a hearty dose. " _Opactil._ It is more concentrated than our other drinks."

He blinked slowly. He could feel that it was more concentrated. He looked at the glass container. They were halfway through it. He took her offering, tipping back the rest of what was in the cup. When she made to refill it he put a hand on the top of the bottle.

"That's enough for one night."

"I can handle more." She gave him a tiny grin. "Can you?"

"We _shouldn't_ have more," he reworded.

"Boy Scout," she lightly pouted before lying down on the pillows.

"What?"

She lazily shrugged. "Lance calls you that when you're being responsible."

He shook his head, laying down besides her.

"You shouldn't repeat what you hear."

"Hm." Her fingers twirled a tassel on the pillow next to her. "I suppose I shouldn't call you that," she slowly turned her head towards him. "Drinking into a stupor is not very responsible."

"I'm not in a stupor," he dryly murmured. "It's been a long quintant. That's all."

"It has been." She propped her head up in her hand. "What did the castle do to you?"

"What?"

"Hunk and Pidge were attacked by food, Lance nearly froze while Keith had to fight off the training bot." Her fingers lightly twirled a couple strands of his bangs on the pillows. "You know what happened with me. So..."

He eyed her fingering his hair. He turned his head back to the stars, making the white bangs fall out of her reach.

"I thought you said you wouldn't ask questions."

"If _you_ approached _me_ ," she clarified with a small grin.

He shook his head at her. With a deep sigh he closed his eyes.

"I'm the one that released Sendak's pod."

She tilted her head. No one had told her what exactly happened regarding Sendak, just that they had lost him out into space during the castle's chaos.

"Why?"

"...The castle made it seem like he was speaking to me."

"I suppose the surveillance would have his voice recorded to mimic it." She continued to stare at his profile. "What did he say?"

"Nothing to worry about."

She gave him a flat look. "So nothing made you launch his frozen pod into space?"

"Even without drinking you would have asked me this," he muttered out loud.

"What's that to mean?"

"You don't know the meaning of boundaries."

"And you do? Then it must have been another paladin that was sleeping in my chambers two movements ago."

"I was monitoring you."

"You've even had the gall to look _and_ touch my markings the night before."

His eyes widened a little. She gave him a small triumphant look.

"I may have been asleep but I felt your touch, _Paladin."_

He looked away with a slight flush. "I'm sorry." He paused as something occurred to him. "Is there another meaning to me doing that?"

It was her turn to look away. "Yes."

"...Is touching them worse than looking?"

She turned to him with narrowed eyes. His eyes widened as her fingers lightly trailed the scar across the bridge of his nose, then languidly followed the curve of his cheek. He felt an uncontrollable shiver from the soft touch.

"Did that answer your question?"

He didn't answer. _I just had to ask._ His face felt warm but he was certain it wasn't from just the drink. Instead, he sat up and readjusted the pillows to accommodate his new position. She stayed lying down, watching as he adjusted himself.

Then he got up completely. "I should go."

"You don't have to."

"I know."

He walked out.

* * *

Shiro had barely changed when there was a knock on his door.

"I never apologized for that night."

He frowned at Allura's sad smile. He felt a pit in his stomach when he realized what night she was referring to. He looked away for a moment.

"...I'm the one that should. Why are you -"

"I wanted to know about Gopi and I did. Don't apologize for that."

His eyes looked down at his hands. He had come to terms with himself thus far and his role on this team. But he hadn't asked what Allura felt about it.

"Knowing what you do," he quietly murmured, "if you need to find another paladin -"

"What do you mean?"

"You saw what I did. I've done worse," he looked straight into her eyes. "The head of Voltron shouldn't be someone like me, I know. I want to be here but you need to be comfortable with it."

"Shiro." Her hands laid along his jaw. He blinked at the strength of her hold. "You are the Black Paladin _because_ there's no one else like you."

His eyes closed. She could see a tension in his shoulders relax.

"Don't regret it later," he softly joked.

"I could say the same to you."

They shared a grin.

* * *

Allura's fingers grazed his on the cot as they laid side by side.

He didn't bring up the fact that the previous night was supposed to be the last one she'd "impose" on him. He had merely opened the door and she slipped inside, neither one saying a word.

"...I wasn't disgusted," she murmured after a moment of silence.

He turned his head to her. "What?"

"Your memory of Gopi."

"...The mouse -"

"Reacted to what your feelings in the memory were." She turned onto her side so she could look at him in the low lights. "I felt your disgust towards yourself, but I didn't feel that way." Her fingers lightly touched his bangs. "I still don't."

"I don't see why you wouldn't."

"Because of what else I felt." She faintly brushed the scar on his face. "Your determination to be better, to be stronger so that wouldn't happen again."

"...I can only try."

She smiled at him. "Why do you say that as if it's not good enough?"

His hand raised up to touch one of her cheek markings. _I'm a hypocrite._ He knew he didn't have the right to touch her like this. But he couldn't stop. Once he felt her shiver he knew he didn't want to. Not unless she stopped him. He felt her breath against his hand as he rubbed the mark again.

The skin felt softer. _Are her markings more sensitive?_

"Shiro..."

He felt lost the moment she said his name. His nose bumped into hers as he turned his face towards her. Was this really something he should be doing? When he grazed her lips he didn't doubt himself again. The only question was if she was in agreement.

Her breath ghosted his face as she pulled away a little.

"I..."

Whatever she wanted to say wouldn't come out. She leaned in, felt the thrilling sensation as she brushed his lips, then pulled away again. She ducked her head under his chin for a moment, feeling him breathe, feeling his heart beat faster from their teasing brushes.

She sat up. "I need to go."

It was the first time she expressed that sentiment.

"Alright."

He watched her slip out the door.

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AN: Drama drama. XD Don't worry, there's a lot coming. I'm sure you know what episode is next...


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Sorry for the delay. Season six got me thinking and thinking... XD

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Allura sipped from her cup as Coran talked.

The mice were still asleep in her bedroom so she left them where they were. From the dining table she could smell some delicious concoction being made by their residential chef prodigy. Hunk had brought over some tea and something he called 'biscotti' to abate their hunger until breakfast was ready.

"How has the training been?"

"Very good, if I do say so myself," Coran rubbed the corner of his moustache with pride. "Number Four and Five have been showing marked improvement in duo exercises despite the bickering." He grabbed a green biscotti to dunk in his tea. "Number Two is still shooting Number Three on accident."

"Poor Lance," Allura shook her head.

"As for Number One...well, to be honest I cannot find any specific area that he needs to work on."

"Everyone needs improvement," she softly scoffed. "There is no perfect fighter."

"No. But if there was anyone that was close, it'd be our own Black Paladin."

She looked into her cup. "...There is one area he could work on..."

The royal advisor put his cup down. He looked around first and then leaned in to speak quieter.

"Is that wise?"

"He's been piloting without his full equipment. If his bond with the Lion is strong enough, perhaps he could call it to himself."

"...Allura." He sighed long. "As a leader you have good instincts." He put a hand on hers. "And as a trainer, _I_ have good instincts."

"You do not think he is ready."

"I don't."

"Despite finding no areas that require improvement?"

"...It's contradictory, I know." He paused when he thought he heard someone coming in. To be safe, he switched to Altean. " _But there are technically two Black Paladins. I still can't believe the Lion accepted a second one while the first still lives. Who knows what the ramifications would be if Shiro were to attempt to call the bayard from him._"

Her eyes glinted with steel.

 _"It sickens me to think that that monster still has it."_ She closed her eyes for a couple of ticks. _"But you are right. Four of our five paladins are still in need of serious training._ _We cannot afford to call attention to ourselves._ _"_

The dining door slid open. The duo straightened up from their hushed talk.

"Morning Coran, Allura."

"Hello Shiro," Coran smiled.

"Morning," Allura murmured into her cup.

Shiro sat across from her. "Mind if I pour myself a cup?"

"Please, by all means," the older Altean laughed. "I've had three already."

He poured a cup for himself. Then refilled Allura's when he saw that it was near empty. She looked up at the gesture and then quickly back down. It was the fourth quintant since 'That Night.' Neither one brought it up and she was tempted to just leave it that way. She glanced back up at him and knew... _I cannot._

"Thank you."

"Of course," he gave a slight nod.

Coran stretched his arms and then stood up. "I'd best be getting to my endless list of tasks. Shiro, I'll let you know when I've fixed a couple of the flying pods. But be warned, it won't be this quintant."

"That's fine Coran."

Once Coran left Allura tilted her head curiously. "You want to fly one of the Altean pods?"

"A good pilot knows how to fly everything in his arsenal." With a serious face he added, "The castle is next."

"I'd sooner let the mice fly _my_ castle, Paladin."

He lightly grinned when he heard her no-nonsense tone.

"How possessive of you."

She let out a hum. "And you are not?"

He let out a sigh, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

"Slippers are personal."

"But to wash them three times?"

"Lance wore mine bare footed."

"Three times," she emphasized. "For footwear that was worn for a mere moment." She looked at him over her cup's rim. "That suggests something."

"Good or bad?"

She shrugged. "You tell me."

"Your tone suggests bad." He leaned forward a little. "But I wonder if it is merely circumstantial."

"What situation would it be good?" she lightly laughed.

"Pillows."

"What?"

He picked up a biscotti. "I have not washed mine."

Her confusion was shortly lived. _And here I thought I would bring it up first._ He was the Black Paladin, however. _The decisive head._ She watched as he bit into a biscotti and then sit back expectantly. She took another sip of her tea before looking back at him.

"You have yet to apologize for that night."

He let out a sound. "Apologizing suggests taking back my actions."

"...Which you do not?"

"No."

"Even if I were to apologize for my response?"

"Despite whatever you say to me," he easily answered.

She was stunned silent for a moment. He finished his tea and then stood up.

"I need to drag Keith out of the training room."

"...Paladin."

He paused before the door, not turning around. "Princess."

"You may wash your pillows."

He shook his head. "The scent will disappear."

"Not unless the source returns."

He turned his head to look over his shoulder. She was refilling her cup without looking at him.

"I'll make room in my drawer."

He left the dining room. Her cheeks were touched with a faint rosy color. _Such presumption._ She did not say for more than one night. Her finger lightly traced the rim of her cup.

Not that she herself knew.

* * *

Allura let herself in.

"I do not sleep as well," she explained as she stuffed clothes into the top drawer. "That's all."

Shiro stayed leaning against the wall near her, already in his sleeping clothes.

"And my quintessence is comforting."

"Yes. I am mostly recovered but it is important I heal as soon as possible, hence good sleep." She slid her robe off and hung it in the closet. "I merely point this out so there are no misunderstandings."

He watched the mice settle on the pillow first before Allura slid under the covers.

"We can't have misunderstandings."

"Exactly," she flashed him a quick smile and then turned onto her side so she faced the wall. "The majority of problems arise when one or both parties are unaware of the situation occurring. Why, my own father was almost engaged to a blob princess because they each misunderstood the other's actions."

He laid down on the covers next to her.

"Wise words."

"I am so glad we are on the same page."

He closed his eyes. "Good night Princess."

Not even a full two minutes passed by when he felt her move. He opened his eyes, seeing her half sitting up above him. Her expression was blank. He frowned as he made to sit up.

"Princess, what's -"

Her hand went on his shoulder. "Drop the quiznaking formality."

He was only partly surprised when her lips met his. His left hand went to her cheek and his right lightly rested on her hip. She shivered as his thumb brushed her facial marking. She broke off the kiss, putting her forehead against his cheek.

"I'm not good at this," she quietly mumbled. "I've had a total of two admirers and only one of them that I actually liked."

He lightly smiled. "You like me?"

"Why else would I have kissed you?" She lifted her head to stare at him in confusion. "Or do earthlings kiss for other -" She cut herself off when he grinned at her. "You and your teasing."

"You're the one that came here."

She leaned back down with him on the pillows. "I did not sign up for mockery."

"No," he answered with closed eyes, "you came for sleep."

She lightly pinched his side. "I can still leave."

"Yes you can." Pause. "But you won't."

"...I misspoke."

"About...?"

"The Black Paladin is the cockiest."

He chuckled at that. "Maybe. But not more than Lance."

She shuddered at that. "Thank the heavens."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Shiro?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel you have a strong bond with the Black Lion?"

"I suppose. But without the bayard I'm not certain how far I can go."

"...That is a valid point."

"Why do you ask?"

"Something Coran said." She put her face against his shoulder. "Forget I asked."

"...Alright."

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AN: Shorter than some other chapters but the next one will probably make up for it. XD


	17. Chapter 17

AN: So slight spoiler about Keith's dad's profession if you haven't seen season six. Otherwise I guessed what happened with the Kogane family.

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"You're still here?"

Shiro kept his eyes closed as her fingers went through his bangs. "This is my room." He cracked an eye open to see her chin on his chest. "I'm surprised you're not up yet."

"This is _my_ castle."

"So every room is yours?"

"Is it not?"

"I suppose." He let loose a small grin. "But even Coran's?"

She gave him a flat look. "I can see where the team gets their flippant attitude."

He turned them so he could bury his face in her hair.

"It could have started from you."

"Impossible," she primly sniffed. "That is not proper royal behavior."

He chuckled and then sat up. She blinked as he got off of the cot.

"Where are you going?"

He didn't miss the slight pout on her face. It almost made him want to go back into bed and cuddle longer. But alas there were things to do, especially since Pidge was getting closer to deciphering the information from Sendek.

"Coran's teaching me to fly the pod."

He pulled out a clean shirt and switched it from his sleeping one. She averted her gaze with a slight flush. He hadn't changed while she was in the room before. When the rustling of clothes stopped she turned back to him. His messy white bangs made her smile.

"Bed head suits you."

He combed his hair as he eyed her long hair draped on the pillows.

"Likewise, highness."

When he made to leave she cleared her throat.

"You're forgetting something."

"Of course."

He walked back towards her but to grab his vest hanging from the railing. She felt her brow tick in annoyance. Then her eyes widened slightly when his hand tilted her chin upwards. The kiss was too brief for her to respond. He took a second to brush his forefinger along her jawline before withdrawing.

"You're trouble," she mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

He saw the rosy cheeks and crookedly smiled.

"Good thing you like trouble."

She threw the pillow but it merely hit the now closed door.

* * *

When Keith entered the tech lab the last thing he expected was the mess.

"I thought labs were supposed to be orderly."

Pidge's shoulders twitched upwards but she did not look away from her screen. "Don't sneak up on me." Without looking she snagged some orange treat on a stick Hunk made and popped it into her mouth. "If you're looking for Shiro he went down into the main fleet hanger with Coran."

"Not the Black Lion's hanger?"

She shrugged. "Who knows what goes through leader's head sometimes."

Keith frowned slightly. Pidge continued working but then turned her head when she had yet to hear the sliding door.

"You forget where the hangers are?"

"No." He walked over to her work area. He quirked a brow when he had to side step some blue fuzzy thing on a plate. _Space mold._ If there was one thing that the Garrison taught him it was the importance of cleanliness. There was junk all over his cabin but he'd guarantee not one piece of trash. "How's that energy transfer machine going?"

"Still working on it."

"You said that three days ago."

She looked upwards with unmasked exasperation. "This is new tech Keith. It's going to take time. Besides," she gestured to the tank of floating purple strands, "unraveling Sendek's memories is my priority. Then the quintessence first aid."

He eyed the tank with distaste. "Sendak can wait an hour."

"Shiro and Allura said -"

"Look, I know we need more information. I'm not stupid." Keith put his hand down on the desk to lean in. "But we _need_ this technology. The Princess almost dying should have made that clear."

Pidge completely turned her chair to him. He may be the sword hand of Voltron but she was the shield, their defense. He wasn't the only one Shiro heavily depended on and trusted in the heat of battle. Her eyes narrowed just slightly. It was one thing for him to want to take the lead in duo exercises but his authority didn't extend into _her_ lab. The way he was ordering her around lately wasn't going to fly anymore.

 _This kitty needs a lesson..._

"Fine." She got up from her chair and pulled out a box by the table. "I need someone to help."

"I don't -"

"I can't make any more progress without this test."

He stared her off for a moment before plopping down on a stool. He watched as she set it up by connecting two wires on either side of a metal box the size of his hand. The top of the box had a clear window to reveal a fragment of the Balmeran crystal inside. She handed him an armband that was connected to one of the wires she had connected.

"Strap this on but make sure it touches skin."

He slid off his jacket then put it on. He looked up to see her doing the same thing except her armband didn't have as many wires as his.

"Wait, we're transferring energy already?"

She waved off his concern. "That was the easy part." She pressed something on the box and it began to hum. "The hard part is preventing memory transfers."

He looked at her suspiciously. "Who's the one transferring?"

"You. I need to make sure the receiving is smooth."

"Someone else should do this."

"Scared, mullet?"

Her prod worked predictably. Annoyance flashed in his dark eyes.

"I'm not scared of anything."

"Good." She slipped on a headband from the training room and then jammed one on his head. "We'll use these so we can tell right away if memories transferred."

"Ow!" He glared at her rough handling and then his eyes widened when she was already flipping a switch. "Wait I-"

She grinned evilly when she saw his surprise.

The grin was quick to wane. She felt a surge of electricity as some of his energy went to her. Her eyes were wide as the lab faded from her view. She was no longer Pidge Gunderson, Katie Holt, the Green Paladin. She wasn't even female anymore. She was -

 _\- Scared._ _Their house was still on fire and his father -_ _He coughed as he stood up._ _Blood was rushing so fast to his head he was surprised his legs could move at all. He coughed so hard he felt like his lungs were going to come out._

 _'Dad!'_

 _His knees hit the ground hard as he was by his father's prone figure. He was still. His small hands trembled above the air, frozen. What should he do? He'd never had to look over someone before. He tried to remember what he'd seen on tv, what he'd seen his father do when he was watching him train at the fire station._ _Nothing was coming to him._

 _Not a damn thing..._

 _"Move over boy!"_

 _He allowed himself to be pushed aside. He was suddenly aware of the siren sounds. The fire probably caught someone's attention by now. There were no neighbors for miles. The paramedic turned his father on his back and then started checking him over._

 _"He's not breathing."_

 _The procedure came to him as the paramedic did it. Compressions. Breath. Compressions again. His hands fisted the dirt as his father's eyes were still closed. They were trying to open his shirt to use the defibulater but he already knew it wouldn't work. He felt numb as he looked back at their house. The awful letters were still burning in the yard._

 _Freak._

The prototype shut off suddenly.

Pidge took in a deep breath. Keith's hand was on the metal box, having slammed a fist on it to get it to stop. He ripped off the armband and headband without a word. She was still trying to make her mouth move when he was already at the door.

"Keith-"

The door slid closed. She took her glasses off to rub her eyes.

 _Quiznak._

* * *

The lasers of the training room sounded out all around them.

Hunk grimaced as he narrowly dodged one. Lance yelped as the Yellow Paladin pushed him forward into the wall of the maze. The exercise did not require them to be invisible but they still gave off a slight shock when touched.

"Watch it Hunk!"

"Sorry!" Hunk's gun sounded out as he tried to aim at some lasers at the top. "Big guy in a narrow space!"

"Bull in a china shop," Lance grunted as he stepped next to Hunk. "I got these. Go lead the way! There's no way I'm letting Keith and Pidge get that flag again!"

Hunk quickly jogged ahead. "It's not really fair though." He paused to shoot at a gladiator. By how quickly it fell he noted that it was a Level One. "They're both small. Smaller people are quicker."

"Come on man!" Lance huffed, "I believe in you."

Hunk turned around with a smile. "Really?"

Lance quickly materialized his shield as Hunk's bayard shot at him.

"Seriously?!"

"Sorry! So so sorry!"

Above the training deck Shiro stood in front of the windows with his arms crossed. He shook his head as Lance blocked another shot from Hunk. As sad as it was, he was surprised the friendly fire hadn't happened earlier in the exercise. _At least Hunk's getting better about that._ The Legs of Voltron were getting stronger with each exercise. He could tell the difference each time they transformed. A smile appeared on his face as Hunk's shield blocked a laser headed for Lance. In turn, Lance kneeled and took out the robot sniper.

 _Good._ _As for the Arms..._

He looked over at the other end of the maze, seeing a flash of red and green. He expected to see well coordinated attacks but ended up frowning. They weren't working together, that much was clear. It was almost like they were each going solo. They were still making better progress through the maze than the other two but the disjointedness had him concerned.

A Gladiator appeared.

Keith slid under it, leaving Pidge behind. Shiro's arms uncrossed in surprise. _That's a Level Three._ Pidge could just barely beat a level two on a good day. She ducked and shot out her bayard to swing above it but the Gladiator's staff was quick to knock her off in mid air.

Pidge yelled out as she landed awkwardly. The Gladiator's staff was swinging down -

"End sequence!"

Shiro ran out as soon as the maze faded away. By the time he got down to the training deck Hunk and Lance were by Pidge's form on the floor. Keith hovered a distance away.

"Pidge! Are you hurt?"

"M-My ankle." She tried to get up but quickly fell back down. Hunk caught her before she hit the ground. "I think it's twisted."

"Lance, tell Allura to meet us in the med bay."

Shiro lifted Pidge up. She protested a little but not for long. She knew she wouldn't make it to the infirmary with one busted foot.

"Keith."

The Red Paladin's shoulders stiffen at Shiro's tone.

"We'll talk later."

"...Fine."

Lance was about to mock him but Hunk was quick to elbow him.

It wasn't the time.

* * *

"You _abandoned_ your teammate."

Keith kept his gaze on the window. Funny how he had snickered when Lance had a scolding session set up with Shiro. It was the same room too. _Why would he choose such an open area to chew us out?_

"Look at me when I'm talking to you."

The teen's hands clenched. This wasn't his first lecture from Shiro, not by a long shot. _But he hadn't sounded so severe before_. Was that why he was hesitating in looking at him? His eyes closed. _What's wrong with me?_

"Keith," Shiro's tone eased just a bit, "You're better than this."

Keith opened his eyes and turned towards him. Shiro's brows furrowed as he saw so many emotions swimming around, but most notably guilt. He sighed long. Keith's eyes widened as Shiro stepped up and put a hand along the back of Keith's neck.

They were head to head.

"I won't lie, I'm beyond disappointed," Shiro murmured. "I don't know what's going on but it needs to stop. A team needs to be able to look after one another."

Keith closed his eyes and then lifted his head away. Shiro allowed him the space.

"It won't happen again."

The teen walked off. Shiro called out to him before he went through the door.

"I'm still here for you."

Keith inclined his head and then left.

* * *

"You're quiet tonight."

Shiro looked away from the holoscreen Allura had up. Their intel on the Galra empire was pitifully bare.

"How's Pidge's foot?"

"Sprained. She opted for the healing _salmute_ instead of the cryopod." Allura changed the screen back to the map of the known universe. "She declared not wanting to lose a tick of time in deciphering Sendek's memories."

"Pidge," he fondly shook his head.

"Did Keith tell you what happened?"

"No. But I know he won't do it again."

She leaned against the control panel to look at him.

"How can you be so certain?"

"I've known Keith since he was a kid. I can tell when he's bs-ing and when he means what he says."

"You would know better than me." Pause. "I saw you were sparring with Hunk and Lance."

He half smiled. "And?"

She shrugged. "I've seen better fights." She turned around to the holo-map. "But you weren't exerting your full strength."

He stepped up behind her. She felt his nose tickle the back of her exposed neck. She squirmed a little but he put his arm around her waist to keep her in place.

"Stop that," she half heartedly protested.

He leaned his chin on her shoulder. "So what did Pidge say?"

"Why do you think she told me anything?"

"You prod," he murmured in her ear.

She sighed. He was learning how to read her a little too fast.

"...She saw a private memory."

"Of Keith's? How?"

"They were testing out the quintessence first aid device."

"That's not all of it." He released her waist so he could look at her properly. "Keith wouldn't hold that against Pidge."

"She manipulated him to assist."

"...That'll do it," he sighed.

"What will you do?"

"Nothing else. They'll have to sort it out."

"Is that best?"

"I know them. They're both aware of being in the wrong."

"...I envy them."

He quirked a brow. "I don't see why."

"You know them so well and they you."

"You're getting to know me now."

"Just a little."

It was his turn to lean against the control panel. "What do you want to know?"

"...Truly? When before you used to evade my questions?"

"I'm not ready to answer certain questions," he half shrugged. "But I'll try to."

"What changed, I wonder?"

His eyelids lowered as she leaned into him.

"Beats me," he played along.

"A mystery."

She brushed his mouth briefly before withdrawing. He pulled her back for a proper kiss. She responded by angling her mouth a little.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty five," he murmured against her mouth before breaking away. "Why?"

"I overheard the others say you were only six deca-phoebs."

He sighed long as his forehead dropped onto hers.

"The joke has to do with the day my birth fell on..."

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AN: I'm sure that wasn't what he thought she'd ask. Stop picking on Space Dad you guys. XD


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Sooo I saw the Season 7 trailer. I guess this is now more AU than canon XD. But I'll try!

 **Spoiler alert for up until the season 7 trailer.** I'll be referencing other things to lay ground work for later chapters (as if I haven't been doing that already XD).

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Training with Shiro was hard, Hunk wasn't above admitting that.

Even when he was sparring with Lance against their leader they still couldn't land an actual hit on him - never mind the fact that Hunk still didn't understand why Shiro was sparring with them instead of Keith or the Gladiator. _Though Keith was still in trouble for what happened with Pidge._ Training with Shiro was a treat for Keith. His eyes drifted upwards to the wide windows of the viewing room above the training deck, bringing his thoughts back to the situation at hand.

When Allura was in charge of the exercises, however...

 _"Keep moving Paladins!"_

His breath was labored as he ducked some rotating torture device with way too many arms. The Obstacle Course from Hell was supposed to be a traditional training regiment of the paladins but sometimes it made him wonder. _Does the word diplomat mean something else in Altean?_ If not, then Alteans were pretty hardcore. Allura would laugh at earth's diplomats in their suits.

"Anyone else," Hunk huffed, "wonder about the sanity," huuufff, "of the first paladins?"

Lance side stepped a swinging arm of the rotating device.

"I wonder about the sicko who came up with all this!"

"Quit wasting breath and work!" Keith yelled as he began climbing the wall up ahead.

Lance stuck out his tongue behind his back. He yelped as he was suddenly pulled backwards only to see something big drop down onto the spot he used to be standing. He turned around to see Shiro letting go of the collar of his space suit.

"Pay attention buddy."

"Since when do we have to dodge boulders?!"

Shiro gave him a half shrug. "Gotta be prepared for anything."

The Black Paladin then darted forward, expertly weaving through the rotating arms and even doing some crazy horizontal spin to fit in between the narrow space of two attacking arms. Once on his feet he scaled the wall with ease, hoisting himself over the top with one hand.

"Damn," Lance murmured in awe.

Hunk let out a low whistle.

Up in the viewing room Allura lightly gripped her portable holo-tablet as she subconsciously followed Shiro's progress. She was monitoring all of them but there was just something about him that always drew her eye. _Even if his hair wasn't colored that way._ The way he moved, the way he carried himself when he walked into a room, his manner of speech and voice when he spoke to people...

"Shiro's amazing," Pidge murmured.

Allura looked over at the seated Green Paladin, her left ankle elevated to help the healing. Her laptop was still on but only when Pidge spoke did Allura notice the lack of typing.

"He is." She looked down at her holo-tablet to check something. "How is your ankle?"

"It's healing remarkably fast. I'm glad that the _salmute_ is compatible with humans."

Allura's eyes drifted back up. "As am I."

If Pidge hadn't picked up something in Allura's voice she wouldn't have looked up in time to see the slight biting of her bottom lip. She wasn't blind to what was going around her like Lance was at times. Plus, she had been looking through the surveillance feeds for when Sendak was in the castle.

It was hard to not notice certain things on those feeds. It wasn't her business to know what was going on in the middle of the night or early in the morning. However...

"There's a lot of similarities between Alteans and humans," Pidge casually said, "despite our two planets being so far from each other. It's kind of strange, if you think about it."

"Yes, it is strange."

"Physiologically speaking, Alteans are the only other race on this side of the universe that's like humans. Hair color, eyes, skin, number of digits - in general I mean."

"Pidge," Allura gave her a no nonsense expression, "whatever you are getting to I would prefer if you simply say it."

"...I've seen you go to Shiro's room several times."

There was a slight pink on Allura's face as Pidge's insinuation hit her.

"That is _not_ what is occurring."

"Then what is?"

"If you _must_ know" Allura primly sniffed," ...I get nightmares." Her eyes drifted downwards a little. "As does Shiro, at times." Pause. "It's comforting to know there is someone besides you during those moments."

"And Shiro is a pillar of comfort. I get that." Pidge pushed her glasses up. "But it's not solely that."

"..."

"Allura, I'm not trying to pry but there's something you should know about Shiro. At least what was going on before he left for Kerberos. You see he was actually eng-"

"I'd prefer to hear it from him directly," Allura briskly interrupted.

"..That's fair." Pidge looked back down at the laptop. "When he tells you, you should tell him what you've been holding back too."

Allura whipped her head back to Pidge. The glow of the laptop shone on her glasses, making her eyes unreadable.

"I don't know what it is," Pidge breezily replied, "but there's _something_ you're not telling."

They stared off for a tense moment before Allura looked back down at the training deck.

"You should be concerned about reconciling with Keith."

Pidge gave a small grimace. She still hadn't opened that can of worms.

"...Fair enough."

* * *

In the coolness of night Shiro walked out to the bridge.

He hit some buttons on the control panel, placed his left palm on the access screen and then found the planet button. He flicked it off screen, looking up at the expansive map of the universe as it was laid out around him. Not for the first time he felt awed and overwhelmed at the same time.

There were so many planets he'd never seen before, asteroid belts, stars - whole galaxies that were never seen by human eyes. The pilot in him stirred. _I want to see it all..._ And yet at the same time, he felt intimidated. His first far away mission didn't exactly go to plan.

He lifted a hand up to rotate the map a little.

The door whooshed open behind him. He didn't look away from the map, trying to read what was written on the side in Altean letters. Every so often there were notes accompanied with the image. He couldn't really read it but he was starting to recognize reoccurring symbols.

He felt Allura's fingers trail along his right hand. Sensation was different than a normal hand but he could still feel to a certain degree. He spread his fingers more, letting hers entwine with his.

"You never stop, do you?"

"You shouldn't have given me access to the control panel," he lightly joked.

She yawned before putting her head against his arm. His sleeveless sleep shirt allowed her to feel his warm skin next to her cheek as well as the firmness of his bicep. Having traveled with Coran and her father on a couple of trips she had seen fit fighters but it hadn't fazed her before. Her right fingers lightly trailed his right arm up to where skin met metal. She felt him shiver a little, feeling something stir inside of her before dropping her hand.

"It's the middle of the night."

"Couldn't sleep." He turned the map again. "What brings you out of bed?"

"Sleep would not come either." She gave a half shrug. "But your room was empty."

He looked down at her. "I thought you weren't staying over tonight."

"Changed my mind."

"A princess that doesn't honor her word?" He shook his head in fake disappointment. "What is the universe coming to?"

"My word is law, Paladin." She poked his side. "I can alter it at any time."

He dodged her next poke. "Do you really want to start this?"

"I never start something," she tilted her chin haughtily, "that I do not intend to finish."

He tugged at their joined hands, bringing her against him. She squirmed as his nose tickled her neck. She tried to release their hands but he would not let go. Her right hand blindly reached out to his side as she simultaneously continued to wiggle away from his reach. His torso jerked as her fingers poked and pinched.

Her wide grin made him kiss her cheek.

She blinked as he brushed her crescent marking. Her poking fingers suddenly gripped the hem of his shirt. She turned her head more as he placed another on her cheek, then the corner of her mouth. They paused for a couple of ticks, gauging, assessing, trying to read the other's mood.

Then they were motion again. His hand slipped into her hair. Her head angled as they kissed. A sharp breath escaped him, breaking the connection. Her nose ran along his in concern.

"What's the matter?"

"Your nails."

Her fingers relaxed along his back, letting his shirt fall back down. She suddenly remembered the large, jagged scar along his spine and instantly felt guilty. Her hand went against his cheek as his eyes stayed closed.

"I did not realize I was hurting you."

"...You weren't," he voiced out with a slight husk.

She stared at his half opened eyes. Slowly, her right hand drifted back down to his side, then back along his spine. Her fingers dug into his shirt, gradually raising the material but on purpose this time. She watched something kindle in those gray irises as her nails trailed the same area again. Her nails dug in more as their mouths merged again. He leaned over her, making her half sit on the control panel. A soft, feverish warmth was spreading throughout her body. She could feel that heat fueling them. Their mouths angled sharper, parting willing lips -

A blaring sound broke through the night. Shiro quickly pulled her away from the control panel.

"Did we push something?"

"No." She turned around, still feeling the heat in her veins. _But this alarm -_ She rotated the map to reveal the red triangle. "It's a distress signal."

He leaned over to see. "It sounds different than last time."

"There are various sounds depending on the severity of the call."

"And this is...?"

"An attack currently occurring."

"We need to suit up." Shiro's brows furrowed. "Can you -"

"Go. I'll hail them and gather intel."

* * *

Keith frowned as Shiro gave everyone their tasks.

"You're benching me?"

"You're defending with Pidge," Shiro reiterated as he slipped his helmet on. "Lance and Hunk will be with me."

"Ah Shiro?" Hunk half raised his hand. "Yellow's not that great at speed. Maybe-"

"We don't need speed for this." Allura enlarged the holo screen for them to see. "It's a small attack but their main ship is heavily damaged. The Yellow Lion's armor is the thickest and ideal for taking stray hits while we unload the personnel onto your lion."

"While Lance and I will draw the enemy fighters' main fire, Pidge and Keith will be covering Hunk," Shiro finished. "Any questions?"

No one else spoke.

"Alright let's go people," Lance loudly clapped with a big grin, taking a moment to pause as he went by the Red Paladin's hanger drop off. "Watch how it's done Keith."

Keith heavily scowled. The Blue Paladin grunted as Shiro pushed him to keep moving. That only made Keith feel a little better. Shiro then paused by Pidge.

"You sure your foot's up for this?"

"Coran's helping me to the hanger but other than that it's just sitting down anyways."

"Just let us know if anything changes." Shiro looked above her head. "Keith."

The scowl waned from the Red Paladin's face upon seeing Shiro's serious expression. He kept his arms crossed but kept Shiro's gaze.

"I will."

Satisfied with that answer, Shiro jogged over to his lion's hanger.

* * *

Guarding Hunk's Lion was even more boring than Pidge thought it would be.

"We so got benched."

There was a huff from the Red Lion's comms. _"Ya think?"_

"No need to get testy. I'm just making light conversation."

 _"Don't. I'm only keeping this line open for emergencies."_

Pidge put her chin in her hand. "Shiro wants you to babysit me, huh?"

 _"My punishment for messing up."_

"Technically, we both did." Pause. "About the quintessence first aid -"

 _"I don't want to talk about it."_

"But I just want to -"

 _"Drop. It."_

"Fine." Her eyes narrowed sharply. "You're such a jerk-wad you know that? No wonder the Garrison booted you."

 _"I'm glad they did, especially if they're going to start letting in dweebs like you."_

"This 'dweeb' has an above average IQ _and_ skipped a grade."

 _"Congratulations. Maybe they'll write that on your tombstone."_

"Shiro was right to bench you. I wouldn't trust you with a paperclip!"

 _"What the hell does a paperclip have to do with anything?"_

"It doesn't matter. It's just the first small, worthless thing that popped into my head."

 _"Worthless? Listen, you little shi-"_

Pidge didn't hear what he said. Green's screens were blaring out warnings as something hurtled towards her. She grunted as the large metal crashed into her Lion. As she righted her Lion the screens blared out another warning. Her eyes widened. This time an entire ship was hurtling towards her -

The Red Lion zipped in front of her, taking the brunt with a roar. The lion hurtled off into space with the torn ship still propelling it.

"Keith!"

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AN: I think I can still follow some of the established canon and have it work with my story. Bear with me, this is the first time I've written a fic for a show that isn't finished. XD

So at some point it's probably going to be complete AU since I have ideas already for the story that will undoubtedly clash with what ends up happening on the show. XD


	19. Chapter 19

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For a good ten minutes Lance was on an all time high.

He was weaving between lasers next to his hero and together they were fighting against the forces of evil. The infamous Mission Impossible theme song played in his head in a never ending loop of danger and excitement.

The Black Lion was the decoy while the Blue Lion zapped the big guns of the enemy ships. The Black Lion would then swoop in with its jaw blade and finish dismantling the ship. Black may be the biggest lion but that didn't seem to deter its dexterity much. Shiro always flew around as if there were air currents in the void of space that only he could find.

 _"Good job Lance,"_ Shiro's voice sounded over the comm. _"We're almost done."_

Lance let loose a goofy grin. "We so got this."

He shot out his ice laser, half freezing a fighter ship. _I'm the Lion Tailor. Defender of the innocents and overall heart throb of the universe._ After this, maybe Shiro would count on him more often - maybe he'd be the new Boy Wonder. "Time for some sawing action Blue." He materialized the jaw blade.

 _"Wait, don't -"_

He already threw it out in an arc. The blade sliced through ice and metal easily, propelling it - His eyes widened suddenly as he spotted where the wing would go.

"Crap!"

The theme song flew out of his mind.

Quickly he shot forward towards the craft to try to bite the flying wing of the ship. In his haste he only succeeded in bumping into the rest of the ship. The Black Lion couldn't dart over due to the lasers. Lance felt his heart in his throat as he quickly opened a link to Green.

"Pidge!"

But the wing already collided with her. He helplessly watched the Green Lion struggle to right herself before the rest of the ship was about to collide - A red blur cut in front. The Red Lion roared as it crashed into the ship, simultaneously altering the course away from Pidge but also getting stuck against it.

Shiro grunted over the comms. _"Lance, I need you to take care of these guns!"_

"Keith's stuck. I-I'm so sorry Shiro, I didn't see -"

 _"Focus. I'll get him."_

"But then I'll be handling these guys alone," Lance quietly murmured as his earlier confidence waned. "I'm not -" _Keith, the right hand, the better pilot, the cooler fighter - better at everything..._

 _"_ _Lance_ _."_

It was just his name but the way Shiro said it so calmly with so much resolve and _faith_ \- Lance gripped his controls tighter as he lifted his bowed head, feeling his second wind.

"I got this."

 _"That a boy."_

The Black Lion quickly swirled around a fighter, leaving it up to Lance.

* * *

Allura was already tracking Keith's Lion before the chatter on the comms increased.

 _"Shiro, Red can't get out!"_

 _"Hang on buddy. I'm coming."_

 _"Wait what's going on guys?"_ Hunk's worried voice made Allura's brows furrowed. _"What's wrong with Keith's Lion?"_

 _"I knocked a ship into him,"_ Lance answered with a grunt. _"Man these guys are relentless."_

 _"Hunk what's your status?"_

 _"Ah, maybe like eighty percent loaded Shiro."_

 _"Good, keep going. Once all personnel are off head into the Castle of Lions."_

 _"Allura, can you cover me?"_ Pidge's voice sounded over the comms.

"Coran and I are assisting Lance." The princess eyed Coran's back as he worked the castle's defense lasers at the control panel. "Pidge, you need to cover Hunk."

 _"But Keith -"_

 _"Hunk needs you more,"_ came Shiro's voice.

There was a tired sigh from the Green Lion's comms. _"He jumped in for me."_

 _"He knew what he was doing."_

 _"...Yeah. I guess."_

Allura looked at the holo-screen showing the comms. The Black Lion was opening a separate line with only the castle. She muted the shared line before accepting Shiro's call.

 _"How far out is Keith?"_

She divided the screens so she could look at the Black Lion's location. "At that speed you'll reach him in twelve ticks." The screen tracking the Red Lion blared out in a red outline. She quickly pulled it to the front, her eyes widening as she saw what was in his path. "The Red Lion's in a collision course with a refueling station."

The Black Lion started speeding up immediately.

"You need to gain more speed."

 _"How about now?"_

"You're still too far out," some worry leaked into her voice.

 _"Come on Black," _Shiro grounded out.

"In another eight ticks Keith will -" she cut herself off abruptly, unable to say it. "Shiro."

 _"I won't make it,"_ Shiro said in a rush, _"Shoot him at an angle."_

"What?"

 _"Keith,"_ Shiro voiced out on the shared line, _"Brace for impact!"_

 _"Ok,"_ came Keith's response, no questions asked.

Allura locked onto the Red Lion.

"Princess is this really -" Coran started to question.

"Fire, Coran!"

The royal advisor hit the laser. They all watched as the castle's blue beam struck out in the distance. Allura watched the screens intensely, looking for any explosion to indicate that the Red Lion collided with the refueling station. The laser should have altered his course but it might not have been in time...Another couple of ticks passed and there was no explosion.

"Number Four," Coran spoke up, "what's your condition?"

There was nothing but static from the Red Lion.

 _"Shiro...?"_ came Pidge's quiet voice.

 _"I see Red. She's banged up but still intact."_

"The force must have knocked him out," Coran speculated out loud. "I'll ready a cryopod."

There was a long groan. Then, _"What the hell hit me?"_

 _"Keith!"_

 _"Alright man!"_

 _"Don't move. I'm grabbing your lion."_

Allura released her breath. "Thank heavens."

* * *

In the med bay Keith hissed as Coran put some _salmute_ on his cheek cut.

"It's not that bad."

"That stuff stings like shit," Keith nearly growled.

He wasn't hurt enough for a cryopod but he was sure he was going to find plenty of bruises.

"Keith," Shiro sighed nearby, "What did I tell you about language?"

The Red Paladin eyed the cotton swab with distaste. "No one likes hearing it."

"Especially from a runt," Lance grinned.

"Keep talking." Keith switched his glare to the Blue Paladin. "I _dare_ you."

The sliding door opened, revealing Hunk and Pidge. The latter had a hand along Hunk's arm to help ease the weight off her healing left ankle.

"We hooked up Red," Hunk smiled. "She'll be charged in the morning. Or what constitutes as 'morning' in space, I guess."

"Thanks Hunk."

Coran straightened up. "I've done what I can." He turned to Hunk. "Number Two, I'll need your cooking skills for our guests."

"We'll come out with you," Shiro looked over at Lance.

The Blue Paladin got up from leaning against the medical cot. "Get better man."

Shiro placed a hand on Keith's shoulder. The teen looked up to see Shiro's smile. Keith felt a small smile crack on his face. His body was in a crappy situation but at least he regained some ground with Shiro.

Pidge was the only one left. "That was pretty stupid and reckless."

Keith gave her a flat look as she plopped down next to him.

"You have a funny way of showing gratitude."

"Eh, not really." She took off her glasses to blow off an eyelash. "Every family has their quirks."

"..."

"I know you've not really been in one," Pidge put her glasses on, "but I'll try to ease up until you're accustomed to it."

Keith stared at her quietly. Then he lifted his hand to lightly push her head forward.

"Dweeb."

She gave his shoulder a weak punch. "Jerk-wad."

* * *

Their blue skinned, dark eyed guests looked at the head of the table.

Allura stood at the head with Shiro on her right and Coran on her left. The other paladins - except for Keith and Pidge - were lined up on either side. They were still in their armor and Allura in her space suit.

"The Paladins of Voltron and I, Princess Allura of Altea, will escort you home."

There was a murmuring amongst the people of planet Yolyn. Unsure if it was a concerned unrest or something else, Shiro spoke up.

"We've made contact with your other ships. They are fine and will lead us straight to your planet." He gave a small smile. "You'll be home soon so please, eat and rest."

The murmurings quieted as eyes laid on Shiro.

"Voltron," one of the older Yolynians voiced out, "so the rumors are true."

"Yes," Allura straightened her shoulders in unmasked pride. "It is about time Zarkon's terror was put to an end."

The same elder shook his head. "It is easier to proclaim that than to follow through."

"We are aware," she shared a look with Shiro before turning back to the table, "It is not without its risks."

Another Yolynian stood up with a cup raised.

"To Voltron's success."

The others raised their glasses, echoing the sentiment with solemnity.

* * *

It was late when Shiro heard his door slide open.

"You really shouldn't be in here."

He didn't know what they'd do or say if one of their guests happened to see the Princess of Altea in the Black Paladin's room. However...He found that he was already making room for her. He was on his side with his back to the door. He heard Allura's nightgown softly rustle as she moved, felt the cot dip as she got on it. She didn't slip under the covers this time, choosing to be on top of it like he was. He felt her arm around his torso before feeling the rest of her against his back.

"I do not care." Her eyes closed as she smelled the herbal soap from his hair. "That was riskier than I expected it to be."

"Taking down a ten thousand year old empire has its risks." Shiro hummed. "I thought we were already aware of it."

"I am serious Shiro."

In the low light of his room he felt for her hand. "I didn't say that to undermine the seriousness." Pause. "We could have lost Keith."

Her face pressed against the back of his neck.

"You as well, if the refueling station had exploded."

"I've faced death several times," he murmured absentmindedly, "but _Keith_ \- "

"You were still at risk," she said with some sharpness, "do not push that fact aside."

"...Allura." He gave her hand a squeeze. "You shouldn't show favoritism."

"And you do not?"

"I'm not the head of the Castle of Lions," he pointed out. "Isn't it a rule for monarchs to be impassive?"

"That is not something you need to be concerned with," she muttered, "I'll do as I please for I -"

"Am royalty," he finished with a half cocked smile she couldn't see. He let out a grunt when he felt a sharp pinch on his neck. "Did you just _bite_ me?"

"For impertinence."

He didn't care to trace how they got to this playful mood. After all that happened today he could allow himself a switch in tone.

"What gets me a kiss?"

"Nothing," she murmured.

He was about to comment on her unfair rulings when he felt something soft brush the back of his neck.

"You do not need to gain," she lightly kissed his nape again, "what is freely given."

"Bold words," he half teased, half warned. "I'd use them carefully."

"I told you," her nose ran along the spine of his nape, "I finish what I start."

His eyes closed as her other hand went into his hair.

"To what end?"

She didn't pause in kissing his neck. "We'll see when we get there."

 _Dangerous game._ He shook his head.

"I'm not turning around."

She kissed the edge of his jawline before giving it a small bite.

"Then don't."

Her hand slipped from his. He felt a strong shiver as her hand trailed down his stomach.

"I'm almost sure a Princess doesn't act like this towards a Paladin."

She peppered languid kisses along the junction of his shoulder and neck.

"I am _certain_ a Paladin should not question their monarch as much as you do."

He chuckled at that. "You weren't drawn to me for my quiet obedience."

She softly scoffed but did not refute it. Her hand found the edge of his sleepshirt. Her fingertips started to brush bare skin, taking their time to trace up to the beginning of his ribs -

He gently grabbed her hand and brought it up to his mouth. She felt the brief brush of lips before he put their hands down on the cot. As much as he wanted to continue this, he knew there was something he needed to address.

"Earlier today...I felt a block."

Her mouth paused in a kiss along the back of his ear. He turned his head towards her though he couldn't see her expression.

"During the mission?"

"Yes," he quietly answered. "I wanted Black to go faster but she wouldn't." She felt his hand tighten a little in frustration. "Not that she _couldn't_ do it. After all this time, I don't understand why - But maybe she needed the bayard," he sighed, turning his face back towards the wall. "Or I was just imagining things."

"...Perhaps," she slowly murmured after a moment of silence, "we should look into building a replacement bayard."

"Could we?"

"I'll have to consult with Coran. He might know where my father kept the plans."

"That would be a great asset," Shiro sighed in relief.

"It might not be possible," she softly warned.

"Maybe not. But we can try."

"After all you've gone through," she rubbed her face against his shoulder, "you always carry so much hope."

"Funny. I think that about you."

She lifted her head up as he turned towards her. Her lashes fluttered half closed as she leaned in. He softly chuckled at her assumption but answered her call. They kissed once, then parted their mouths more for the second kiss. Her hands gripped his sleepshirt as new sensations rippled along her body. He pulled away a little for air, feeling his bottom lip linger in between hers before it was returned to him.

"You don't seem new to this," he amusedly commented.

"I am a quick study," she primly tilted her chin up. "Coran's told me for deca-phoebs."

He let out a low laugh. "Don't ever say that in this context."

She grew red upon realizing what it sounded like. "Why do humans misinterpret _everything_?" she hotly scolded.

He laughed louder.

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AN: Ok... you knew this was the calm before the storm. Next chapter should be the next episode, "Collection and Extraction." Da da duuummm! ...about time, right? XD

Side note: I still can't believe season seven's coming out soon. 0_0


	20. Chapter 20

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Keith saw Allura one morning.

Afterwards, Shiro would realize that he was rather surprised no one had seen her coming in or out of his room sooner.

Shiro tossed her change of clothes on the cot before turning around to give her privacy. They usually didn't dress at the same time but they had overslept, hence the urgency. She quickly pulled off her nightgown and tossed it carelessly onto the floor.

"Perhaps Keith slept in as well."

"If there's one thing the Garrison never complained about," Shiro zipped up his pants with a shake of his head, "it's Keith's punctuality."

She grumbled as she slipped into her space suit.

"Why hasn't this habit rubbed off on Lance?"

He gave a hearty laugh. "I would love for that to happen."

He was pulling out the black long sleeve shirt when he heard Allura struggling.

"The zipper's stuck."

He could practically see her pout. "If you're dressed enough I can help."

"...Alright."

She kept her back to him, face turned to the wall. The space suit zipper was stuck just where the dip in her spine ended. He let out a soft tsk when he saw the culprit.

"Some hair got caught."

She sighed long as he worked in freeing the locks.

"I'm half tempted to just cut it off."

He dragged his eyes away from the curling pink markings on her back that peeked from the suit's opening. They seemed to go around her ribs but where they originated was anyone's guess.

"If you like." He started zipping her up.

"...Would _you_ ," her face turned just a little towards him, "like that?"

He paused, lifted his hand up to drape her hair over her shoulder to give the illusion of shoulder length hair.

"I do like the long hair but," he tilted his head with a smile, "short hair would suit you too."

She felt her mouth mimic his smile. "Long hair would suit you." Her hair raised up to touch his white bangs, then his shorter dark hair. "Long enough to be tied back."

The corner of his mouth curled in a half smirk.

"Did you see it in a dream?"

She withdrew her hand with a cool look. "A princess' dreams are none of your concern."

"Dreams? So several times already."

Her cheeks warmed a little. "A large ego is most unattractive."

"Agreed," he chuckled. "If it's any consolation I dream about you," he leaned in towards her ear, "frequently."

She shivered pleasantly. He deftly tugged the zipper the rest of the way. She turned around to see if he was teasing her but she didn't rightly care at the moment. His eyes were half mast and without a shirt. She always knew his shoulders were really that broad but it was a pleasant opportunity to see without having to tend to an injury.

"Why dream," she murmured softly, "when I'm right here?"

With her hair loose, not brushed, untamed, and draping on one shoulder with her eyes flickering in challenge - in _invitation -_ he was certain he was having a day dream. Her hand touched his upper chest, sliding along his collarbone.

It was real. As real as the heat starting to spread in his veins.

 _"Shiro you up?"_

"Keith," he breathed out as she quickly withdrew. "Yeah just give me a tick - uh a sec."

She gave him a grin while she pulled her hair up. ' _A tick?,'_ she mouthed out. She hadn't heard him say it before.

 _Adorable_.

He pulled his shirt on then hastily tugged his vest on. Allura kicked her nightgown under the bed before sitting down on his cot. Then quickly stood up. She stepped away from the bed and then just crossed her arms, not knowing what else to do. It occurred to her to hide in the closet but it would be even more awkward to explain should Keith hear her in there.

Shiro touched the side button, unlocking his sliding door. Keith stood in front of him in his paladin suit. He blinked upon seeing the other person in the Black Paladin's room.

"Good morning Keith," the princess smiled.

"Uh, morning Allura."

 _Good call._ Speaking up first made it seem more normal. Shiro could see Keith's expression relaxing. But then the teen frowned upon seeing Shiro.

"You're not in armor."

 _Shoot._ They always trained in armor in the morning. He knew he'd mess up somehow.

"Forgive me Keith," Allura lightly laughed. "I must have interrupted Shiro before he could change."

She relaxed her arms and walked to the door. Shiro and Keith stepped aside to let her by.

"We'll continue our discussion later."

"Until then Princess."

Shiro cleared his throat. "Sorry Keith, let me change real quick."

"Sure."

Shiro stepped back more to close the door. Keith didn't mean to pry, but he couldn't help seeing something _pink_ under Shiro's cot.

 _The hell?_

* * *

Shiro got to her starlit sanctuary before her.

"That went smoother than I thought."

He didn't look away from the stars though from the corner of his eye he did see her settle down next to him.

"I don't usually sleep in like that."

She laid an arm along his torso as she scooted closer to his side.

"Must have been a good dream."

He softly chuckled. "Must have."

They laid in comfortable silence but only for a moment. Her hand went up and started tracing some constellations, naming and describing them as they appeared. He appreciated that she did this, even though she knew that the earthling probably couldn't completely picture what a _knilspet_ with feathers looked like but went ahead and described it just the same.

...He'd almost say he adored it.

"I was engaged," he blurted out before he could truly understand what he was doing, "before Kerberos."

Her hand stilled in the air as Pidge's words came to her. ' _When he tells you, you should tell him...'_ Her fingers curled before coming down completely.

"Engaged?"

"An agreement two people enter into," he quietly explained with almost no inflection, "a promise of faithfulness, trust," he paused a second. She didn't miss it. "And lo-"

"I know," she interrupted a little sharper than she meant to, "what the word means."

He stared blankly at the stars.

"It's more accurate to say we _discussed_ an engagement. Adam - when I chose to tryout for Kerberos, he expressed his concerns. Then I was chosen as the pilot." His eyes half closed. "He asked me an important question and I...faltered."

Then his eyes closed all the way, hearing Adam's voice in his head. _'Takashi, how much do I mean to you?'_

"Understandably," Shiro finished slowly, "he said he wouldn't wait."

It was a lot to take in. But even so.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." His eyes opened with a wistful nostalgia. "I chose my dream over him." He turned to her with a half grin. "Guess I do have a big ego."

"It is not wrong to follow your dreams."

"It's what brought me to the Galra." He let out a bitter chuckle, bringing his right hand to look at. "If that's not a punishment from the universe then I don't know what is."

Her arm reached over to grip his right hand.

"It's what brought you to _me_."

He could only stare at her intense gaze. "You don't seem surprised."

"The engagement surprised me," she dryly intoned. "And yet not really, if I think about it. You are an attractive man."

He felt a little heat in his cheeks at her casual compliment.

"Not that. About...Adam."

She slowly blinked at him and then it was her turn to look blankly at the stars.

"My father loved my mother. I know this is true. But when she died, all he had was Coran and myself." Pause. "I'm sure you've seen the devotion Coran still has for the King of Altea." She turned back to him with a sad smile. "I can assure you, that love went both ways."

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He had been concerned about how to explain how he was, to reassure her that his actions weren't some poor attempt to get one sided affection. But she already understood.

"Most people are intimidated at the prospect of the...wider range of competition."

"Competition?" She softly scoffed. "You do remember I am _royalty_?"

He grinned widely, affectionately. "You only remind me every other quintant."

She briefly closed her eyes when his fingers brushed her hand. "About the replacement bayard," she opened her eyes, seeing his undivided attention. He had said what he needed to. It was her turn now...Except she hadn't agreed to tell him before he was ready to know. "We're having difficulty finding a similar element that the others are made of."

"I'm sure Hunk can help Coran. He made something to find the Blue Lion."

"Truly? That is quite impressive."

He smiled in pride. "We earthlings _do_ have something to offer at times."

"That's not what I meant."

He propped himself up on his elbow, making her arm slide back to her side.

"Coran taught me how to fly the Altean pod with a hand puppet demonstration."

She laughed loudly at the thought of an experienced pilot having to go through that. "Oh Coran!" She turned into his chest for a couple of ticks before looking back at him. "To his defense it's hard to tell," she said between her tittering, "if you're actually paying attention."

He shook his head as her laughter quieted. With a glint in his eyes he traced her cheek, then up to the tip of her ear. Her eyes lidded immediately. He traced down her ear. By the slight parting of her lips he could see how much she liked that.

"Can you tell that I'm paying attention?"

His eyes were half lidded but very _focused._

"The lighting's poor."

He hummed to that, bringing his head down.

"Still hard to see."

He was nose to nose with her. She exaggeratedly squinted her eyes, making her nose wrinkle and move his nose a little.

"I suppose you are," she loftily declared.

"What a predicament," he sighed.

She shivered, feeling his breath on her lips. "There are other ways to convey one's self."

The corner of his eyes tilted upwards in humor.

"Actions speak louder than words?"

"Perhaps."

He tilted her chin up. "Let me know if this works."

She kept her lips parted as his met hers. "A little," she murmured, "but the message is not clear."

"Apologies."

She breathed deeply through her nose as he angled his mouth. Her hand went along his neck, then slid into his hair as she kissed back harder. His eyes widened a little at the strength of her hand pulling him down. She took advantage of his distraction, getting her other hand under his shirt while she took control of the kiss. He had to extend his right hand on the floor to prevent his whole weight on her.

"Allura," he breathed as those damned, _wonderful_ nails slid along his lower back.

"Shiro," she hummed as she nipped his lower lip.

Where in the hell did she learn to do all of this? Her hand slid up. He grabbed it, stilling it along his back. Her hair was out of its bun, loose and glowing under the starlight on the lounging pillows she had brought up. She looked glorious...He supposed she _was_ a quick learner.

"Not here," he lowly murmured.

Her lips slowly tilted upwards. "I suppose your bed is better?"

"Why mine?"

Her finger lightly flicked his ear. "So you can have more pleasant dreams."

He murmured something too low for her to hear. Not that she was certain it was even a word.

"I was thinking yours."

Those languid eyelashes lowered even more as the image painted itself in her head. She hadn't been in a relationship like this before but it was difficult to not see tipsy members of court near the end of balls being intimate in dark corners or the gardens. Back then, she didn't understand the powerful yearning of physical touch in such relationships.

This was no longer the case.

"I'm not opposed to that."

* * *

Their hands stayed connected as they walked down the stairs from the tower.

He let her lead though he already knew the way. His thumb rubbed her knuckles. Her pinkie slipped between to tease his palm. They didn't run into anyone. It was late in the night. He knew they were close to her quarters. He pulled her hand. She paused to face him.

He kissed her.

She pulled him along, not breaking from his mouth. Her free hand soon felt the wall. She halting in trying to blindly find her keypad to pull his head down more. She hummed a little, letting him keep it soft and slow.

It sent electricity down her spine.

Her sharp ears caught footsteps. He grunted as she pushed him off of her. She looked down the hallway and then back to him. Getting the hint he quickly ducked around the bend in the other direction.

"Pidge?" Allura's brows furrowed, seeing the dark shadows in the younger girl's eyes. "Good heavens, what's the matter?"

Her foot was doing much better but she still made sure to walk slower.

"I usually see Shiro when I get them but he wasn't in his room." She paused briefly, lifting her head up with unshed tears. "I just really don't want to be alone right now."

Pidge's eyes widened as Allura embraced her.

"You can _always_ come to me," she softly murmured. "Any time."

Pidge's shoulders sagged before the rest of her body did. Allura held her for a moment before leading her into her room. While Pidge wasn't looking, she glanced over her shoulder. Shiro raised his hand in a wave with fondness in his eyes. Then he quietly walked back towards the paladins' quarters.

She quietly sighed. She'd been wanting to get closer to Pidge. She wasn't going to ruin the opportunity.

* * *

Only Allura was on the bridge.

Shiro embraced her from behind.

"Thank you for doing that."

"I did it for her, not you," she sniffed with haughtiness.

He kissed her cheek. Months ago, he would have taken offense. By now he understood her sense of humor.

"Was it a nightmare?"

"Yes. A mixed memory of how Keith's father died, though it was her father instead."

He sighed, dropping his forehead on her shoulder.

"She keeps having that one," he quietly murmured. He released her as a thought occurred. "Do you still have nightmares influenced by my memories?"

For a tick she played with the idea of lying.

"Not as often."

He turned his head aside. His brows furrowed in self anger.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't accept it." Her hand gripped his, making him look back. "You did it to save my life."

"At the cost of your peace of mind."

She gave a small shrug. "I haven't had that since Zarkon."

He looked at her. She said that casually but her eyes unwillingly showed the scar on her soul, revealing that she was more than "upset" about Zarkon than her words could express.

"We'll get him."

"Someday," she murmured in mutual promise.

The others filtered in, Lance last. Surprise, surprise.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Lance yawned as he stretched out on his Blue Paladin seat.

Pidge brought up her screen with a grin.

"How about deciphering Sendak's memories?"

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AN: This was honestly supposed to have more of the whole 'sneak onto the ship with Allura' part of the episode but then the characters decided to do other things (or almost do something) so...I went with it. You can see this as Part One of the episode.


	21. Chapter 21

AN: Part Two of "Collection and Extraction."

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While Coran entered in the data for the universal space hub, Allura approached Pidge.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired." The younger girl gave Allura a small smile. "But I got more sleep than other nights."

"I am glad." She lowered her voice a little. "If the nightmares happen again -"

"You're an option," Pidge finished with no sass.

Coran called Allura over. She gave Pidge's shoulder a squeeze before walking back to the bridge. She noticed Shiro's stare but did not make eye contact with him. The fact that he was looking at her was already shooting little thrills up her arms.

"There's nothing there," she frowned.

"Maybe Sendak's memories are incomplete?" Hunk questioned.

"Possibly."

Shiro narrowed his eyes as he focused on the large holo-screen.

"There must be something here."

"A well kept secret," Pidge added.

Allura tapped her finger along the back of her other hand before straightening her spine.

"Coran, take us there but keep your distance."

* * *

They could only stare at the hidden transportation hub on the screen.

"There's so many ships," Pidge murmured.

"This is it," Shiro breathed. "A small target we can hit. They must handle various supplies from all over the galaxy."

"I get keeping it hidden," Hunk scratched his head in thought, "but why have such an elaborate cloaking for just a space warehouse?"

"Maybe there's more to it," Lance chimed in.

"This requires a closer look." Allura highlighted a top tower of the main base. "This is where we'll need to infiltrate and gather intel."

"Uh," Keith slowly turned his head towards her. " _We_?"

There was a short, collective pause as they realized what was said.

"I will join you this time. Before the war I had been on Galra ships and transportation stations with my father." Allura pulled up her smaller holo-screens to look at something. "Based on scans it appears that the station is fundamentally the same as it was ten thousand deca-phoebs ago."

"Mm yes." Coran rubbed his moustache. "The Galra are funny that way." With a more serious expression he addressed Allura directly. "But I do not think you should go, Princess."

Her brows furrowed in slight hurt. If she thought anyone would object Coran had been at the bottom of her list. She was quick to smooth her expression, feeling her nerves steel in determination.

"I am a part of the fight against Zarkon." She didn't see it but her eyes narrowed into a fierce expression. "I am _going_."

The younger paladins looked at Coran.

Then they shifted their gazes as Shiro stood up from the Black Paladin's chair near the front of the bridge area. Even Coran was looking to the Head of Voltron for the final decision. Allura did not miss the shift. She calmly folded her hands together before tilting her chin up in challenge.

"Suit up Princess."

The tense lines in her body relaxed. Coran was frowning at him but he paid it no mind. This was the first time Allura had expressed interest in joining an infiltration mission. She wasn't the sort to decide such things on a whim. It was no secret that she had a grudge against Zarkon but he hadn't seen it overpower her logical side.

 _Besides._ He slightly grinned to himself. _I have the feeling she's more capable than she's letting on._

* * *

"Psst. Hey."

The guard in the tower looked around only to meet Shiro's glowing fist. Lance and Hunk flanked their leader to take shots at the two sentries remaining. Shiro tossed a sentry aside while Keith and Lance dragged the knocked out guard out of their way. Pidge quickly darted forward to hook her laptop with the Galra computer. Allura calmly walked up to Shiro's side.

"Was that truly necessary?"

He looked at her. "It's easier to knock out someone from the front."

"I suppose. Or," she tilted her hip a little, "someone's showing off."

"On a mission?" he softly tsked. "That would be highly unprofessional."

She hummed to that, then stepped into his space so only he could hear.

"You'll have to do better than that."

He cocked a brow when he spotted her bottom lip slightly caught under her teeth.

"I'd say I'm starting off just fine."

She let out a neutral sound as she turned away from him. But he distinctly did not hear her disagree with his assessment. The corner of his mouth tilted upwards before going downwards.

"Shiro -" Keith started.

"Everyone get down," Shiro hissed as he spotted the hub's screens turning on.

* * *

Allura stared at the ship currently docked.

"That is not a typical cargo ship." She straightened up from crouching down. "If there's any important information it'll be on that ship."

Shiro nodded at that.

"Allura's right. We'll need to split up and -"

"Too risky," she cut in. "I'll go alone."

The team looked at Allura dumbfounded. It was one thing to have her join this mission and another to send her out on her own. Shiro was starting to wonder if he had miscalculated her eagerness to participate first hand.

"Allura -"

She frowned, immediately recognizing his tone. "You thought I asked to come as a spectator?"

"Of course not," he sighed. "But Princess -"

"You're green," Keith half sputtered out in disbelief.

"I'm not." Allura frowned. "...Pidge is the Green Paladin."

"That's not - How do you _plan_ to sneak on board?"

Allura took off her helmet with a secretive smile.

"I won't have to sneak on."

Her eyes closed as she focused. Already she could hear their exclamations. She stood above them at least two heads taller. Overall they were shocked. She couldn't help but noticed the slight red along Shiro's scar. She quirked a brow at him, making him shake his head.

The redness was gone. She half missed it.

Several questions were thrown her way. She answered them calmly. Shiro frowned as he looked at her. She was certainly capable of more than he had thought. However...

"I'm coming with you."

She looked at him coolly. "I do not require protection."

"I didn't say you did."

Pidge stood up from her laptop. "Allura, you're going to need Shiro's hand." She lifted it up. "It's the only thing that can bypass the Galra's bio locks."

"...Fine."

"We'll need to find something to hide Shiro in," Lance murmured.

They scattered to look around. Pidge stepped up to Allura. The Princess moved to a less crowded space. The Green Paladin looked so much smaller as Allura stood in front of her. Pidge was the smartest one on their team but sometimes she forgot how young the girl was.

"Shiro protects those close to him," Pidge murmured with a serious expression. "It's what he does." She lightly frowned up at Galra Allura. "Don't push the gesture aside."

Allura took a long breath in.

"You are right. I was not thinking."

"Space Dad mode comes out a lot. It's actually nice once you get used to it." Pidge smiled. "But I guess I should say Space Boyfriend for you."

"What is a boyfri-"

"We found a box!" Lance cheered.

Pidged walked away with a grin.

* * *

"I owe you an apology."

Shiro paused in taking her hand before stepping out of the box. It was still a little strange seeing her as a Galra and in uniform no less but with her voice coming out from the disguise.

"For what?"

"I misunderstood your reason for wanting to join me."

He shrugged it off. "That doesn't require an apology."

Due to her Galra helmet he could only see her mouth.

"You were simply expressing concern for my wellbeing." Her lips downturned cutely. "I took it to mean your lack of faith in my abilities. For that reason I am sorry."

He gave her hand a squeeze and then let go.

"Still don't need to apologize."

* * *

She told him the basic layout of most Galra ships.

"Go left."

He crouched down behind a wall as he followed her instruction. He held up a hand to halt her, having heard some footsteps. Then the sounds echoed before sharpening acutely. He let out a quiet breath as a memory pierced his mind...

"Shiro?"

He closed his eyes. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him get lost in a memory but it was the first time while he was wake. It somehow made him feel exposed. He opened his eyes, pushing the feeling aside.

"I remembered a part of my escape." He leaned in more to whisper. "The ships are guarded by sentries with recognizable patterns."

"Do you recall it?"

He gave her a half smile. "Let's find out."

He took her hand and led her through the maze. She watched in amazement as he calmly focused on the footsteps and then pulled them out into the hallway, always missing the next guard. This was someone of confidence and natural leadership.

She would follow him anywhere.

"There," she pointed over his shoulder. "That should be the main information room."

He let go of her hand to scan his hand on the lock. Then immediately he darted forward, smoothly ducking one sentry's hand as he sliced upwards and then rotated around to impale the other. Both were down in a matter of ticks. He tossed them aside as she walked to him.

"With the sentries out of the way we should have some time befor -"

His words cut off as her mouth covered his. He stared at her intensely as she kissed him hard and fast. He didn't even try to fight it. He was only fighting his impulse to respond back in equal measure. Now was not the time to respond - not if they wanted to get off this Galra ship in a timely manner.

She released him. "Sorry."

"No you're not."

She gave him a fanged grin. "For the short duration."

He turned back to the control panel. "I don't forgive it."

"A pity. I had future plans but if you are upset..."

He slowly turned to her, only seeing the languid smile on her face.

"I forgive you." He gave her a lidded expression before putting his hand on the panel. "Now go guard the doorway."

"Well, since you asked so politely..."

* * *

Their flirting died down.

"Stay where you are," the guard weakly ordered.

Allura quickly closed the sliding door. Shiro sighed as he weighed their options.

"Ok, we'll have to see about sneaking out through the air ducts."

"My armor is far too large for that."

He looked around. "Then maybe -"

Allura dashed. He felt his jaw drop as she rammed the door off its hinges. Quickly he ran over to see what happened. The guard was completely imbedded in the metal wall. She yanked the laser gun from his hand, not caring that the guard was now sliding down to the floor.

"What's the matter?"

He slowly blinked as he looked from the guard then her. _Dear lord._ Why was this turning him on more than it probably should? And on a mission no less. But the part of him that should have been chiding himself was strangely quiet.

"...Tonight, Allura."

She felt her throat dry up. His tone and eyes... _Quiznak._ She couldn't even find it in herself to be angry of the fact that he hadn't posed it as a question. Not that she wanted this to be up for debate.

"Then let's not dawdle," she smoothly replied.

He took the lead.

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AN: Was it just me or was Shiro being very playful by calling out to the guard before taking him out in this episode? XD Oh Space Dad.

I had a hard time cutting pieces out. Sorry if it seems very choppy but I just wanted to hit certain scenes. Due to that I felt it prudent to break this into two chapters so it's not _extremely_ choppy. XD


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Here we go! Oo boy.

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Keith felt his eye twitch with Hunk's brilliant explanation of the future of utensils.

"So let me get this straight," Lance slowly intoned as he visualized Hunk's idea. "You think the next evolution of the spork will be the same head but the handle as a knife?"

"And/or chopsticks," Hunk added. "It can come out like a swiss army knife."

Pidge's typing was the only sound for a couple of seconds.

"Hunk," Lance gravely started. "That's -"

"Stupid," Keith muttered.

"A-mazing!" Lance exclaimed over Keith. "Wow! Why hasn't anyone thought of it sooner?!"

"I know right?!"

Keith closed his eyes as the two continued along the same lines. _I need to go._ He'll catch The Stupid if he stayed around any longer. He breathed in long to control himself from saying anything mean and then breathed out. He opened his eyes in time to see the cloaked figure coming out of the ship.

"Who's that?"

Pidge paused in trying to hack the sentry. She switched screens and pulled up a video feed of outside. Keith leaned over as she zoomed in. There was some weird white mask on the guy's face. It made him even more wary.

"I don't know but he reeks of 'bad news.' "

Keith frowned. "I'm gonna check him out."

"Shiro and Allura should be back soon," Pidge warned. "We need to stay together."

"I won't be long."

Lance and Hunk turned towards the doorway as Keith walked to it.

"Oh no you don't Mr. Lone Star," Lance stood up to cross his arms. "You're not going anywhere."

Keith pressed the door to open.

"Don't you dare go through that door buster!"

The door closed. Pidge and Hunk looked at Lance.

"Hunk, dock him a week's worth of dessert!" Lance declared with gusto. "And add an additional week for every ten minutes he's not here!"

"He's not five."

"I'll treat him like he acts!"

Pidge rubbed her eyes underneath her glasses. This family's logic drove her crazy sometimes.

* * *

The alarms were still going off.

It made Shiro's focus hone in. While he took satisfaction in playful banter he knew this wasn't the time for it. He was making turns without having to think about it. The layout of this part of the ship was familiar to him. The hangar would be the perfect exit.

"Pidge, we're coming out hot. We'll need to leave as soon as we meet up."

 _"Ah ok."_

Allura frowned, having heard her tone through her earrings. "What's the matter?"

 _"...Keith's not with us."_

They shared a quick glance.

"Get him first," Allura calmly instructed. "Then come for us."

 _"On it. I've been keeping track of him through his suit."_

"That's my girl," Shiro half smiled.

Allura felt her lips twitch upwards. While Shiro's bond with the three males was more brotherly, the bond between the Black Paladin and the Green Paladin was almost paternal. She could see how much Pidge turned to Shiro when she had her rare moments of insecurity. He was always gentle with them, being mindful that his right arm didn't squeeze too hard in an embrace.

He caught her admiring stare. "...Save that for later."

"What exactly?"

He didn't say anything. But that smoking look in his eyes was enough to make her shiver. She had never wanted to touch someone as much as she did right now. And it wasn't the urge to merely hold hands. She gripped the laser gun tightly in an effort to keep her hands from doing what they wanted to.

They rounded a corner.

Shiro lifted his hand up to halt her. They turned to go back but there were sentries behind them as well. Then he did something unexpected. He stepped aside. _He's deferring to me._ She felt exhilarated with that fact. She confidently aimed and shot. Both of them blinked as the sentries in front of them were still standing.

"What -"

Shiro looked behind them as a sentry fell down with a hole in its chest.

"Oh quiznak," she quietly groaned.

He quickly turned forward as the sentries in front came for them. He took them down easily as she embarrassedly tossed a fallen sentry to collide with the ones behind them.

"I thought you traveled the universe," he blurted out in disbelief as he turned back to her, "You kept talking about your father and the paladins of old," he didn't notice her cheeks growing dark as he fixed her hold on the gun, "you even scolded us for not being able to fight the Gladiator. How could you be holding the blaster backwards?"

"I'm tense," she bit out in a higher pitch. "We can't all be as collected as you."

He stared at her intently. "...You've only trained," he slowly murmured as the pieces came together. "You've never actually fought, have you?"

Her purple skin further darkened around her cheeks. Some lasers missed them. She quickly grabbed his hand and ran. He let her pull him for a moment before taking the lead. _Seems I've hit a sore spot._ He didn't think she'd take it like that.

"The pods should be up ahead."

* * *

Even over the comms Pidge, Lance, and Hunk could hear Keith's panic.

 _"Pidge, I need an extraction!"_

"We're already coming over," Lance huffed as they reached the Green Lion. "You're the one that wandered away from -"

Keith yelled out in pain. Blood was draining from their faces. The Red Paladin hardly ever yelled out like that. He'd hiss or grunt but not do...that. They could hear something like electricity messing with the comms. All Pidge could think of was Sendak electrifying Shiro over the comms for a very long time...

She carelessly dropped her laptop on the floor of the Green Lion's cockpit.

"Hang on Keith!"

* * *

It wasn't supposed to go like this.

Earlier they were flirting, consenting to the promise of an evening of mutual attraction and longing with the barest of words, then running faster half in haste for their evening and half in stress for the blaring alarm on the Galra ship.

She was struggling to keep the hangar doors closed. Despite the situation he was honestly very impressed. There had to be at least five sentries trying to pull the doors apart. One sentry alone had the strength of two people. He willed his glowing hand to melt the doors faster.

"We won't make it," she gasped out.

Shiro refused to away from his task. "Just hold the doors a little longer."

Allura's arms burned with the effort. She knew she could hold out but her strength wasn't what was running out. Behind them her sharp ears could hear the doors of the pod starting to close. The voice over the ship's comms was giving a countdown for the hyper jump but in Galran. She knew he didn't know what they were saying. She did. She knew exactly how little time they had.

This was an instance in which his pep talk couldn't overcome the truth.

In the span of three ticks he felt her fingers stroke the back of his neck before he found himself flying in the air. He yelled out in disorientation. Spots were before his eyes as he slammed into the pod's pilot chair. He blinked hard. He could see the pod doors closing. He heard more than saw the hangar doors split open. The sentries were coming. She stood facing him, letting them come.

"No!"

He could still see her. He didn't know if that was comforting or not. _Fight, damn_ _it_. He looked through the window as he tried prying the door open. it wasn't going to budge. He knew that deep in his gut. _Reassure me of that much._ She merely smiled at him. He felt an aching agony as he realized why she wasn't even turning to fight.

 _She's using herself as bait..._

"Allura," he rasped out.

The pod shot out into space as the ship made the hyper jump.

* * *

The sentries wasted no time.

Allura's hands and feet were cuffed. Then they made her walk.

Her surrounding was familiar. She'd seen these hallways before, ten thousand deca-phoebs ago with Coran and her father. Though there had been banners and pictures on the walls. The Galra were not much for decorating but they at least had those things. Now it was all metal and that sickly purple light.

She shifted back into her regular state. The Galra armor engulfed her. She was certain she looked ridiculous but it hardly mattered to her. She had a feeling where she was being taken. She wanted to face him as an Altean. Rub it in his face that she was still standing in spite of him. They were in the center of the empire, after all.

The very place Shiro wanted to locate but also avoid.

The sentries halted. She took a slow, calming breath while they opened the large court doors. A blaster pressed into her back. She frowned but moved. This was unavoidable. If it hadn't been now she would have eventually come face to face with him another quintant. So why bother fighting the quiznaking sentry and earn herself an unnecessary injury? She kept her eyes down, looking at the plain design of the path to the throne. The sentries next to her stopped. She halted as well, feeling her heartbeat in her ears.

"Princess Allura," a deep voice rumbled out into the grand hall.

She made the mistake of looking up. Her calming breaths earlier was quickly becoming useless. There was a roaring in her ears as she stared at her father's murderer and her entire culture. Her nails dug into her palms. Her legs trembled as the great figure stood up from his ghastly throne. Her feet shifted. She could hear the metal binding her feet starting to crack.

Then the beast dared to speak again. "Alfor's _precious_ daughter."

"...A monster like you," the metal around her ankles broke, "isn't allowed to say my father's name!"

His mouth twitched in amusement. All the lessons of diplomacy fell away. Her patience with this finally snapped. She yelled out as she ran. Her blood was rushing with seething anger. She didn't even realize that the witch was in the room as well. A cold darkness surrounded her, halting her in her tracks. Allura gritted her teeth. Her feet managed to move two steps.

It made Zarkon chuckle.

"You're more of a fighter than your esteemed father."

The metal around her wrists started to bend. "Every inch of me _despises_ you," she hissed out. "Voltron will - " Then she found herself floating up in the air. Her hands automatically went to her throat. Her feet kicked out as an invisible hand choked her. A cloaked figure came up to her, watching her with a curious tilt of her head.

"You carry the quintessence of my champion."

Allura's eyes would have widened if they weren't already. The choking already made her eyes unnaturally round. _That voice._ She had briefly heard it in Shiro's memories. It had been a fleeting recollection but filled with apprehension and tension.

There was one night that had left Shiro in a cold sweat.

He held her close and muttered the name 'Haggar.' _'She's the head of the druids,'_ he had relented before falling quiet again. She couldn't bring herself to press for more information. And now she was here, in front of the head of those that experimented on him. Gave him that metal arm that helped them but haunted his memories.

She tried to glare. It only brought a smile on the witch's face.

"There's the fire of a fighter in you."

Zarkon could tell what was going through the witch's mind. He hummed at the idea before nodding his consent. Haggar released her. Allura coughed loudly as she tried to get air in. The sentries hauled her onto her feet.

"Take her to the pit," Haggar slowly drawled.

Allura felt an icy dread fill her heart. She pulled an arm free. She kicked and yelled as more sentries came to contain her. Haggar tutted as she calmly drifted over to them.

"You'll get your chance to fight," Haggar crooned as she placed her hand on Allura's forehead, " _Princess_ Allura."

The witch took her crown. Allura immediately tried to snatch it back.

Something sharply hit the back of her head, knocking her out.

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone?"

Shiro didn't bother hiding from Coran's glare.

"She sacrificed herself for me."

The paladins collectively held their breaths. Anger and grief flooded the royal advisor's face. He walked up to Shiro, got as close to him as he could. Shiro waited for a punch. He'd take it though he knew that punishment wouldn't nearly cover the cost of his failure.

"I trusted you," Coran's voice trembled with thick emotion, " _She_ trusted you."

Getting stabbed in the stomach several times would have felt better than this. Shiro closed his eyes as he took the well deserved blame.

"We'll get her back," he quietly said.

Coran let out a mirthless laugh. "We'll be lucky to get her corpse."

Shiro's brows furrowed. "We'll get her alive Coran." He fisted his hands as he felt his courage grow. "No matter what."

The Altean's face was blank. "You really do know how to talk."

Shiro's eyes narrowed fiercely. Before he could respond, Hunk cut in.

"Uh guys, what's happening to our screen?"

All eyes looked up to the large screen. The symbol of the Galra flashed. Pidge immediately went to her chair and pulled up her screens.

"The Galra are sending out a feed to all networks."

"Can you accept it without giving away our location?"

"Yeah...just let me get this set up." Pidge typed away as fast as she could. "Ok, I'm opening it."

The paladins frowned at the dirt floor.

"Ok..." Lance scratched his head. "Maybe it was an accident?"

Shiro stayed quiet until the feed zoomed out more. Keith saw as the blood drained from Shiro's face.

"You recognize it?" the red paladin quietly asked.

"...It's the Gladiator pit. But why would they -?"

Someone was pushed out, falling into the dirt. As the figure stood up the members of the castle stood stock still in collective shock.

"Oh gods," Shiro choked out.

He lost all feeling as he took in the sight of Allura wearing the clothing of a prisoner.

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AN: And we're diverting from canon. The idea came to me in the middle of traffic and wouldn't let go. But seriously, Zarkon has the daughter of his enemy. Why wouldn't he exploit this opportunity?


	23. Chapter 23

AN: It's been months I know, sorry! Thank you for your patience!

Edit in last chapter: I tweaked the very last scene a little. There's not a spikey alien with duel swords coming out into the ring. Sorry about that. But I came up with something else. XD

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 _The Galra had a gladiator ring ten thousand years ago._

 _When Allura was older she learned about its history. It began during peacetime as a way to relieve tension for the soldiers. After fighting pirates and bandits for so long it was difficult for a highly militaristic nation to stop honing their skills for intense battle. It started off as a training arena. Challengers were completely voluntary. It soon grew to the point that they needed to expand it. There were seats for young soldiers to watch and learn. Visitors were allowed to come as well._

 _Female gentry were not allowed to watch._

 _The rule was Altean but it did not stop just because they were on another planet, much to little Allura's displeasure. So she sat indoors with her Queen Mother Melenor sipping tea. She was young and ignorant of what the arena was exactly. All she knew was that her father and Coran were allowed to go and she was not._

 _Their handmaiden brought their own Altean tea set. The Galra did have herbal drinks and pots but they weren't nearly sophisticated enough for Alteans. King Zarkon was beyond taking offense to something so frivolous. Queen Honerva was too busy in her lab to be bothered about it._

 _"Sit up, Allura dear."_

 _She sighed but did what she was told._ _"I want to go."_

 _"Absolutely not." Her mother lightly patted her mouth. She already knew what her child was referring to. "It is fighting for no practical reason. Very primitive."_

 _Their hand servant refilled the Queen's teacup._

 _"Papa fights."_

 _"When he has to. This Galran sport." The Queen wrinkled her nose. "There's no academic purpose."_

 _The door to their suite opened. Allura brightened and slipped off her seat._

 _"Papa!"_

 _"There's my Juniberry!"_

 _She laughed as her father tossed her up into the air. Coran closed the door behind them. Allura peered over at him once her father had her safely in her arms. Coran had one hand hidden behind his back. He caught the child's look and tutted._

 _"May I help you princess?"_

 _Allura's face broke out in a smile as she held out her hand. Coran chuckled as he brought up his empty hand to gently grasp her hand to kiss. She giggled as his mustache tickled the back of her hand._

 _"No!"_

 _"Princess!" Coran put his hand to his chest in mock hurt. "You reject my affections?"_

 _Alfor paused in greeting Melenor to looked at his wiggling daughter. "She knows you have something Coran."_

 _"Well!" Coran bent down to her face. "What if it's for your mother, hmm?"_

 _"No," she confidently declared. "For me."_

 _Melenor softly tittered behind her hand. "You spoil her Coran."_

 _"She's the next ruler of Altea," Alfor smiled as Coran presented the gift. "She deserves all the gifts the universe can offer."_

 _Allura's eyes were wide as she took the dark metal figurine._

 _"This is a replica of Incroa." Coran rubbed his mustache. "She's currently undefeated in the ring."_

 _Allura's small fingers traced the grooves in the metal for her armor. There was a long spear in one hand and a circular shield in the other. Although she was crouched she held her head up high in clear pride. She looked like she could take anyone in a fight._

 _"Coran," Melenor frowned in disapproval. "That is not an appropriate gift."_

 _"Altea has female warriors as well, love," Alfor calmly said._

 _"Warriors and gladiators are not the same th-," Melenor abruptedly cut off in a coughing fit._

 _"My Queen," the hand maiden was by her side with a handkerchief._

 _"Melenor."_

 _Alfor passed Allura to Coran. The small girl looked on with slight fear._

 _"Coran, mama -"_

 _"She's getting better Allura," Coran soothed as he rubbed her back. "It just takes some time. Would you like to hear what I saw today?"_

 _The girl kept the figurine against her chest as her chin rested on Coran's shoulder. Her small hand fisted his vest in a moment of insecurity. She nodded her head instead of speaking. He felt the small motion._

 _"It went like this," Coran said in a light tone._

 _He continued to talk as he took them out of the room._

* * *

Allura came to with dread in her heart.

She didn't forget seeing her father's murderer. She sat up quickly but was stopped by a tether. The line glowed purple. If it had simply been metal she could have broken out of it. She tested her cuffs but they did not break. _The witch must have enhanced it._ At the reminder of that cloaked figure Allura lifted her bound hands to her forehead.

Her diadem was indeed gone.

The very symbol of her lineage, heiress of the Altean throne. One of the few pieces of the Altean royalty still in existence. A rising panic started to build. Her training kicked in automatically. She started to breathe purposefully in her nose and out her mouth. In. Out. In. The feeling was still there but it wasn't growing. Not right now. That was the best she could do in this moment.

"Hello!"

She looked around the low lights. In Shiro's memories he was always in cells with other prisoners. That made her realize something else. She looked down. Her space suit and earrings were gone, replaced with a black one piece with a sorry excuse for a purple shirt. A prisoner's outfit. _I didn't change_. Nor did she recall someone changing her outfit. That fact made her feel vulnerable in a way she never felt before.

"Can anyone hear me?!"

Her voice cracked a little at the end. She put her hands up to her forehead and focused on breathing. She saved Shiro accepting that she was dooming herself to be in the hands of the enemy. But she didn't think it'd be like this.

 _Did you expect a guest room with a window?_ she caustically thought to herself. No. She wasn't foolish to have thought that. _A cell, yes._ But being stripped and changed into prisoner clothes involuntarily, with no recollection of it? _No. I had not thought of that._

Her ears twitched. There were metallic steps.

Sentries.

Her head shot up as the witch's words floated back. The tentative mental dam of her panic was starting to splinter. _Surely...they would not send me there._ The sentries were outside her cell. The metal door slid open. She couldn't stand up. She _hated_ that her tether was so short. Sitting down made her feel small.

There were three sentries. Two came on either side of her. The third transferred the tether from the wall to its hand. Immediately she tried to wrench it out of the sentry's grip but the other two were in motion. One held her arms while the other snapped something around her neck. She gasped as the cool metal band forced her to lift her head up. It was right against her skin. She tried to wiggle free but her body felt strange.

"What did you put on me?"

She didn't expect an answer. They kept going with what they were programed to do. She stumbled as she was forced to walk.

"Wait."

She was going down a long, barely lit hallway. There was shouting in multiple languages as they walked by. The situation. The corridors looked too familiar to those in Shiro's memories. Breathing was getting harder to do.

"Where are you taking me?" she nearly whispered.

 _"Silence,"_ one of the sentries chimed to the cells, completely ignoring her. _"Or be punished."_

The ruckus quieted. One cell did not. A sentry was sent to handle it. She heard an electric sound and a whimper. Then it was all quiet. She was brought in front of a large metal door. It was just a door. Only a door. Yet her composure was crumbling.

The door slid open slowly. The roaring of the crowds came immediately. It only fueled the symphony of panic in her mind. She thought of Gopi's cold body. Shiro's night terrors. His missing arm. The scars that were cut into his flesh. Pidge's missing brother and father.

"There's been a mistake!"

She struggled. They pulled her along effortlessly. She tried summoning her strength but it was not there. She reached deep down inside of her for the warmth of her gift but it would not come.

... _The collar_.

Her strength she could understand but how did they manage to dampen her Altean magic? Her people have been gone for ten thousand years. They would have to be familiar with it and she knew for a fact that Altean alchemy was a weakness of the Galra.

But she did not have time to think about it.

They were almost to the opening at the end of the tunnel. She didn't try bargaining with the sentries. They were mere machines and metal. She dug her heels but only succeed in nearly falling over as she was dragged along.

 _No. No no no._

Alteans didn't participate in meaningless fights. They were peacekeepers, not warmongers. They only took up arms to protect life. _But you're different,_ her mind murmured. _You've longed to fight since you were a child._

"Release me!"

She tried harder. She pulled at her arms. Tried to break her cuffs through force alone. It did nothing except bruise her wrists. She let out undignified grunts and yells.

The following happened in a matter of seconds.

The tether was gone. Her hands were no longer cuffed but the collar remained. A sentry gave her a knife. And she was shoved out into the arena. She fell into the dirt. The coarse grains bit into her palms as she sat up. It hit her all at once, then. There would be no sudden waking up. No one there by her side to tell her it wasn't real, it was all one terrible nightmare.

This _was_ happening.

She was going to fight.

* * *

Pidge and Hunk were already sifting through the information they got from the ship. Until then, the rest could only watch the feed. Shiro breathed in deep to control himself.

 _She'll be fine._

That was the second time he thought that. _She has super strength and training._ She was a lot better off than Matt and himself. _But remember the blaster?_ his mind whispered. _You had to show her how to hold that._ She had blushed as he fixed her hand placement. He remembered thinking how wrong it looked to see that weapon in her hands.

 _She can do this._

He forced himself to remember her standing tall during drills, commanding them like a CO with confidence and self assurance...except. She didn't look like that in the holoscreen. Her front was dusty from having fallen in the dirt and her eyes were wide - instead of drooped with sleep when she first woke up or lidded when he dared to touch the crescent marking on her cheek. He couldn't help the thought. He was quick to snap back as she shifted something from her left hand to her right. He felt his jaw drop a little.

They gave her a knife.

"Oh gods," he rasped out.

There were rarely female gladiators in the ring so there were only a couple of things they were going to do with her but the knife was a dead give away. On cue, the lights around the arena dimmed out. Torches were lit around the darkened grounds. The feed lightened so it was visible but he knew it wasn't so in real life. Allura stayed standing there in confusion.

"What is this?" Coran murmured. "This isn't what the Galra used to do."

Shiro ignored it. He could only feel his body tensing the longer she stayed still.

"Run to the middle," he bit out tightly. " _Now._ "

* * *

Allura was straining to see.

The torches only made the outer ring easy to see. She couldn't see the crowd but she most definitely heard them. She wasn't certain if she preferred not being to see them. Her ears caught the sound of doors being opened across the way but the crowd made it hard to hear anything else.

She stayed where she was and lifted the knife up in defense like she knew what she was doing. Except she didn't. Not with this weapon. Not in a real life situation. Her heartbeat was a thundering sensation in her chest. She also never _not_ had her strength or access to her energy.

 _Can I go through with this?_

...Did she have a choice?

There was movement along the edge. She turned to the right. If it weren't for her ears she would have missed the rapid motion on the left that needed her attention first. She side jumped instinctively. Her eyes widened as she stared at a large creature with massive fangs.

"What?"

She thought she was fighting fellow prisoners. But this also made things a little easier. It still went against everything she was taught. However -

There was a snarl behind her from the darkness. She yelled out as she blindly rolled away. She didn't catch what it looked like. _I should have paid attention!_ Did it have long claws? A tail? Spikes?

"Ah!"

The tail of the first creature hit her, knocking her off of her feet.

* * *

The video feeds were light enough for her team to see.

One animal looked like an overgrown lizard with fangs. The second one that launched at her was some sort of feline with jagged stripes. They looked severely underfed judging by their protruding ribs.

"Beasts?!" Coran choked out.

Shiro gripped the control panel.

"Why run to the middle," Lance frowned as he responded to Shiro's comment. "Wouldn't that be the worst thing to do?"

"To hid?" Keith ventured.

Shiro shook his head. "There's probably weapons in the darkness."

"What?!" Lance yelled out. "Then why did they give her a puny knife!"

To make her feel helpless. Small. A reminder that she was the Galra's entertainment, not a warrior. They only armed the deserving. He clenched his metal hand. _'Your strength,'_ Sendak voice sneered in his head, ' _is not your own.'_

"Only the fearless are rewarded," Shiro settled for. He turned to Pidge. "Anything?"

"We're trying," Pidge tightly said without looking away from her screen.

* * *

Her ribs took damage.

Alteans were fairly sturdy so she didn't think anything was broken. Even so. She gasped out as she quickly got back to her feet. She never killed animals before. Altean diet had animal flesh in the beginning of their history, before their ancestors learned how to forage the vegetation around them. Hunting was not part of their culture anymore. They were diplomats and explorers. They merely took up arms when trouble entered their part of the universe, like most planets did.

 _But Altea no longer exists._

Their culture was now made up of two people. And they were more fighter than diplomat now. _No. We are still diplomats._ It wasn't difficult to let those errant thoughts go. Fighting for her life was more than a distraction from contemplating such things.

She strained her ears to hear but the crowd was too loud.

One of the beasts came nearby. She ducked. Then bent nearly backwards as the lizard's tail came around. She wasn't falling for that again. _I just need to see this as training._ She put her paladins through plenty of obstacle courses. She fought the Gladiator often enough. She felt sweat along the side of her face. The Galra had taken the idea of their training bot and manipulated it for conquering.

 _Altea empowered the Galra._

The lizard rotated around and scurried at her with frightening speed. She backpedalled fast, trying to keep an eye on both but the feline had hidden in the darkness. Out of habit, she tried to bring out her quintessence to expand out and find the creature hidden away. She flinched as the collar let out a low level electric shock.

She forgot about that.

 _Think!_ The arena of today was a form of entertainment. _Why would they only have the outer ring visible? Why create so much dark space in the middle?_ She turned suddenly to avoid the feline's claws. She winced as her cheek was cut and her ribs protested. She swung her knife in an attempt to scare the beasts away, if only for a moment.

 _Shiro would know._

He fought in the ring plenty of times and survived. She tried to think of something useful he'd said. Her mind was frantic though. _Patience. Patience patience..._ She scooted so her back was to a wall so nothing could sneak up on her.

He had mentioned something.

In a previous fight. His first one. _When he fought Myzak, he said the sword had been wedged in a pillar._ She looked into the darkness up ahead. _Did they hide another weapon somewhere?_ The set up now made her death inevitable. That couldn't be the entertainment they are searching for.

 _Unless being torn apart is the entertainment._

She shook that thought out of her head. Killing her from the onset made no sense. She could trace the lions and that is what Zarkon wanted. They threw her in here as punishment for trying to attack their emperor. It was a reminder of her situation.

There _had_ to be something in the darkness.

"Ancients," she hissed out.

She didn't have time to be searching blindly in the dirt. _If I had access to my quintessence I could create light._ But she couldn't. She needed to stop thinking about what she didn't have.

 _Wait..._

She ripped off the useless purple shirt and wrapped it around the knife. She breathed in suddenly. There was motion from the left and the right. She braced herself and waited, waited -

She jumped high, pushing off the back of the feline for more height. The creatures crashed into the wall. She thrusted her knife into a torched dish along the wall. The shirt instantly caught on fire. She frowned as the heat was already licking at her hand.

She ran into the darkness.

The shirt was burning up. She went to what she thought was the center and looked around. Behind, she could hear the creatures moving.

"Come on," she breathed out impatiently.

She rotated around and around. She stepped on something but the shirt was starting to curl around her hand. She dropped it involuntarily and went to her knees to search where she had bumped into something. She felt chains. Some other metal item. She hissed as she knicked her finger on something. It felt too small. She needed something useful. She picked up a long, rectangular device.

 _Is this -?_

The creatures disappeared into the darkness with her. Her makeshift torch went out. Her fingers fumbled over the device. Her finger pressed into something. She quickly adjusted her hold as a purple energy blade appeared.

"Ah!"

The feline jumped on her suddenly. The blade was in the dirt. She squirmed under it as she used one forearm to press against its neck and the other hand to reach for the device. It snarled in her face. She could feel its hot, rancid breath each time it snapped its jaws for her. She yelled out as it slipped from her forearm. She moved her head away. It caught her bun in its mouth. It tugged at her hair. Her scalp was on fire but she now had the blade in her hand.

 _I've not killed a living creature._

They shot at ships and cruisers but personally, face to face...Alteans were diplomats. Those with her abilities were healers, in tune with the life forces around them and the universe. She hadn't completed her training to connect that deeply but her natural abilities allowed her to connect with the Balmera and revive it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

But she couldn't afford to die. She brought the blade up and into its throat. Hot liquid hit her instantly. The volume of the crowd increased dramatically. The smell of the blood and singed fur overwhelmed her.

 _Oh gods...!_

She used her feet to kick the dying feline off of her. She had closed her mouth thankfully but it was on her face. _Don't think about it. Just move!_ She quickly swiped at her eyes to get the blood off.

The lizard wasted no time.

Its tail grabbed her by the torso and squeezed. She screamed for her already abused ribs. Her head snapped back as her hair was still stuck in the feline's mouth. She sliced through it, relieving the pain from her scalp then swung down.

The cut tail wiggled around her torso still.

"Uh!"

It repulsed her but she kept moving. This...this was much more intense than what she imagined it to be like. The blade glowed in front of her face then she thrusted forward to extend what she could see. Then swung side to side. The glow lingered a couple of ticks after each swing. She saw the lizard's open mouth a tick before it could bite her forearm. She used two hands to slice diagonally in its mouth.

It let out a piercing shriek.

 _Only fight to protect._

What she was doing right now was for the Galra's entertainment. There was no honor in this. It went against every aspect of Altean culture. Her eyes were wet as she forced herself to push on and on, cutting further into the beast but it wouldn't quiet. _Please die. I don't want you to be in pain._ But it wouldn't die. Her ears were ringing as its pained sounds increased. She felt shame for wishing this creature to die already.

"I'm sorry," tumbled out of her mouth. "Forgive me. _Please,_ forgive me."

She threw her weight forward. The shrieking abruptly stopped.

She slid the energy blade out of the lizard. She yelled out as she was knocked off her feet. Frightened at the motion she clambered back onto her feet and jabbed where she assumed its body was. She felt her blade sink in. She jabbed over and over. Her breath was a little erratic as adrenaline and fear pushed her to do this, to make sure this creature was truly down. She could feel the tears coming out of her eyes.

 _Mother wouldn't be able to look at me._

The crowd's yelling increased with each jab she did. Pushing her on. Rewarding her for her savagery. There was a blaring horn. Then the arena lights were on fully. She stumbled backwards. Her cut hair fell into her eyes. Her lungs dragged breath into her body as the life and death situation was still crashing down on her. Her eyes adjusted to the new lighting and her heart froze.

"No..." the blade fell out of her stained hands.

In place of the lizard was a humanoid girl bleeding blue.

* * *

There were a lot of things Shiro didn't remember.

But his first fight in the arena was definitely something he recalled in vivid detail. The roaring crowds, the sound of crunching dirt beneath his feet as he stumbled out, the smell of something foul deep in the dirt and walls around him. His heart thudded as loudly as the alien sounds around him. He knew then, that even if he survived this bout and somehow escaped...a vital part of himself would be left behind in the ring.

As he watched Allura drop down to her knees and pull the girl's body into her arms, he felt another part of himself die along with her. _I'm sorry Allura._ There was another body in the prisoner garb where the dead feline used to lie. _I'm so, so sorry._

"They were shape shifters," Coran choked out as he sank to his knees. "Oh, princess...!"

"Shiro."

He breathed in suddenly. His right hand relaxed its grip on the edge of the control panel. His eyes were stinging. He turned to Keith who was looking at him with drawn eyebrows. They all were looking to him except Coran. They were horrified. They needed someone to tell them a lie.

"She'll be fine," Shiro calmly, neutrally said.

Keith's eyes darted to the control panel. There were five finger grooves imbedded in the metal.

"...How?"

He turned away. "Pidge, please hurry."

"Shiro?" Lance rasped out.

"I'll be back," he curtly responded.

The bridge door slid behind him.

* * *

The sentries pulled her away from the body.

Allura didn't fight their cold hands. Not even when they pulled her to some sanitation station and hosed her down. Hot air blew at her in place of a towel. They walked her back to her cell. She didn't flinch when the metal door slid into place.

 _'Do you swear,'_ her father's voice boomed in the ballroom as she knelt before him, _'to uphold the values of Altea, to look after its citizens, to seek knowledge only for the good of your people, to connect with other planets in goodwill, and extend the prosperity of Altea to those that could benefit from it?'_

 _'Yes, King Father,'_ she looked up at him in determination. _'I swear to it. I believe in our people. I believe in Altea.'_

She sank down where she stood.

 _'Then rise, Princess Allura,'_ her father smiled widely. _'Rise, my beautiful heir.'_

She curled into herself and wept.

* * *

Shiro stood clutching the sink as he tried to get a hold of himself. He already splashed water onto his face several times. New drops came down the sides of his face. He just let the liquid drip off of him.

"This is your fault," Coran said behind him.

He kept his head bowed down. "It is."

"That should have been you out there," the older Altean thickly choked out, "not her."

"I know."

"No," Coran sharply shook his head. "You _don't_ know."

"I'm so sorry," Shiro half whispered. "I can't fix what happened. If I could I would. Instantly." He let out a shaky breath, toweled off his face, and then stood up straight. "But it will _not_ destroy her. She's stronger than that."

"She is," Coran agreed and then looked down. "And also isn't. Not in the way you're implying. Allura was born in the golden age of Altea. She was never in combat. Never had to take life like she did today." He shook his head. "Her essence is pure. And so much easier to taint."

"We'll get her through this Coran. I promise."

Coran closed his eyes. "We can't even find her."

"If Pidge and Hunk can't find the base," Shiro put his hand on Coran's shoulder. "Then we'll have to move onto the next plan."

"Which is..."

"To get to Zarkon, we need to give him something he wants."

"...No. Allura wouldn't -"

"It'll be a Trojan horse situation. Highly risky but a sure thing."

"Why are we speaking of horses?"

That jolted Shiro a little. "It'll be a trick," he rephrased.

"That's a terrible idea."

"It's not our first plan," Shiro clarified. "But it _is_ an idea."

Coran opened his mouth to retort. A shuddering sound brought his eyes to Shiro's vest pocket. Platt's ears peeked out. They could see them trembling. Shiro sighed and used a finger to stroke his head. The trembling took a while to subside.

"That's not a good sign," Coran murmured.

"No," Shiro quietly said. "Come on. Let's see if they found anything."

"...Shiro."

The Black Paladin paused by the doorway.

"I'm sorry. I don't want you in the arena either. It's just hard. I've already lost Altea and Alfor -" Coran turned his face away. "I can't lose Allura too."

Shiro's expression softened. "We'll get her back."

"...Careful." A faint smile appeared on Coran's face. "I might start to believe you."

Shiro half smiled. "Then I'll say it over and over again until she's back home."

"Home." Coran smile was now visible. "Yes."

It wasn't planet Altea. But this ship, the princess, these paladins - in the vastness of space and the entire universe - all them made this home. He hadn't truly appreciated that until now.

Now that he was in danger of losing it again.

* * *

With the loss of her home and father, Allura thought she was already broken.

She didn't think she could shatter much more except with the failure to take down Zarkon. But the gaping wound in her heart just ripped open more. She clutched her hands over her chest as she quietly wept.

Those girls looked so much younger than her. _They were probably frightened._ Terrified of dying so they steeled themselves when they first got here. That was her mistake. She didn't know how to steel her heart in a situation like this. She was painfully new and it cost other people their lives.

"Why did I have to come?" she bitterly asked herself.

If she hadn't inserted herself on the scouting mission to begin with none of this would have happened. _But those girls...they were already here._ They would have fought someone else. Killed others or be killed themselves.

"What should I have done?" she whispered.

If she had known early on, would she still have fought? _I could have tried to speak with them. Come up with an escape plan together._ That was a possibility...but highly improbable. If words had power in the ring Shiro would have been able to talk himself out of there early on. He was an excellent speaker, though a little informal in his speeches at times. Their deaths in the ring seemed inevitable whether by her hand or someone else's.

"Are you crying?"

Allura whipped her head up to see the witch in her cell. She quickly sat up and glared at her. She hated not being able to use her gift.

"What do you want?"

The witch's eyes glowed as she peered at her. "Do you mourn those beasts?"

She couldn't help but respond. "They were _people_."

A smile appeared on the witch's face. "You didn't think they were when you slew them."

Allura felt her throat tighten with emotions. _This is a game. Do not rise to it._ She needed to steer the conversation elsewhere but not to Voltron. That would be even more dangerous.

"Where is my crown?"

The witch studied her for a moment and then lifted a clawed hand up. The crown materialized in a smoke of black. Allura shuddered as she looked at the once bright gem. It looked dull in this light. She couldn't help but see it as her own essence.

"I can give it back to you."

Allura frowned.

"Not Voltron," the witch hummed as she easily read her expression. "I'm not interested in that ancient machine."

Allura's frown deepened. _Then what does a witch like her want?_ Black smoke engulfed Haggar. Allura looked around. She instantly shivered as something cold and dark grazed her back. Clawed fingers were around her neck, right above the collar. Allura lifted her head up so she wouldn't be choked.

"I want," she crooned in her ear, "my champion."

"He's not _yours_." Allura gritted her teeth. "He belongs to himself."

"You don't believe that. There's no need to pretend." Haggar let out a low, raspy chuckle. "His quintessence clings onto you rather thickly, _highness_."

Her nails dug into her palm as she withheld the urge to retort back. The claws pressed. Allura let in a sudden breath as something dark probed her mind. It was cold and poisonous _-_ it made her essence shrink back from it. She threw herself forward to disconnect. There was a stinging along her neck from the claws. The witch stayed where she was.

"Champion flies the Black Lion," Haggar murmured to herself. "How interesting."

"Stay away from him," she hissed out.

"Does he know?" The witch's amber eyes stayed on her. "Or were you too afraid to tell him who _truly_ controls it?"

"I'm warning you -"

"Threats are not very Altean." Haggar chuckled in a raspy sound. "How low you have fallen, Princess of Altea."

She threw a fist at the witch. Haggar disappeared in a black swirl.

* * *

A large figure crossed its arms on the bridge.

"I wanted more blood," the general huffed out.

"Go back," another female voice sounded out. The colorful female next to the larger one hummed as she did what she was told. "Stop. Now zoom in on the prisoner."

The holoscreen was blurry and then cleared up.

"Those are Altean markings."

"But weren't they killed like a bazillion decaphoebs ago?" The one in front of the control panel turned back when she heard footsteps retreating. "Where're you going Acxa?"

"To inform Prince Lotor."

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AN: So the fight was broadcast in a wide net to goad the paladins (as a reminder since it's been ages lol). I'm playing around with Allura's abilities and in relation to her culture. And then how Galran culture is like in comparison.

Ok, so how was there not more between Haggar and Allura _especially_ after she finds out Haggar's race? It's just mentioned sporadically and then comes back into play in the end of the series. Maybe just as a build up? But *sigh* idk. I'm just going to drop it. Canon is what it is.

But it doesn't mean I can't explore it here. XD

In real life there were female gladiators in the Colosseum but they either fought animals or each other. From what I read, gladiatrices stepped into that life more than their male counterparts (who were mostly slaves I think) as an alternative to marriage or just so they can become financially independent. But because it was fighting for people's entertainment they weren't viewed in a good light and were basically outcasts for life.

Some of these fighters _were_ slaves though. The knife and fighting in torchlight (at night) was totally a scenario they'd throw captured women and children into. Brutal!


End file.
